I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 13 Grain Fragment Spirit

Chen Santai stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Yan, and announced loudly, "Immortal Master, Fang Shi has exceeded the time limit!"

The atmosphere in the hall changed instantly upon hearing this.

Zhou Yan said, "Oh?"

Chen Santai pointed to the array diagram in front of Fang Shi and said, "When the Immortal Master shouted 'The time has come,' Fang Shi's array brush had not yet left the ground. I saw it clearly; the last stroke was completed only after the Immortal Master finished speaking. The assessment is limited to a certain time; if the time is exceeded, it will be invalidated. This is the rule."

These words made perfect sense, and the gazes of the few rogue cultivators in the room couldn't help but shift back and forth between Fang Shi and Chen Santai, their faces already showing a hint of anticipation for a good show.

Zhou Yan turned to Fang Shi and asked, "Fang Shi, what do you say?"

Fang Shi remained expressionless, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, I did indeed make the last stroke at the very moment you called 'The time has come.' When I began that stroke, you had not yet finished speaking, and when I finished, you had just finished speaking. If you say it was past the time limit, I dare not admit it. But if you say it was within the time limit, I dare not say it was. I only ask the Immortal Master to judge for himself."

Seeing that Fang Shi remained unmoved, Chen Santai turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Immortal Master, rules are rules. If we extend the time limit today because the painting is good, shouldn't we be punished tomorrow for a poor painting? The assessment is based on 'accuracy,' not just the accuracy of the lines, but also the accuracy of the rules. No one will be accepted if the time is exceeded; this has always been the rule, not because I am being harsh. I am merely upholding this rule for you, Immortal Master, to prevent anyone from saying that your rewards and punishments are unfair in the future."

Zhou Yan said, "Chen Santai, you have a good eye. Fang Shi's move was indeed a step too late."

These words immediately changed the atmosphere in the hall.

Chen Santai's eyes lit up.

The group of rogue cultivators exchanged glances, and when they looked at Fang Shi again, their eyes held a deeper meaning.

They might sigh inwardly, feeling sorry for him, or they might sneer and gloat.

Zhou Yan continued, "But when I said 'the time has come,' Fang Shi's brush had already fallen before I finished speaking. Although he finished a beat late, he started within the time limit. In the art of formations, one must ensure the continuity of patterns and the smooth flow of spiritual energy. If a stroke begins within the time limit but ends outside it, does that mean it's overdue?"

He smiled slightly and said, "I don't think it counts."

Chen Santai's lips had just curled into a smile when they froze.

The other rogue cultivators looked at each other, none of them able to fathom Zhou Yan's thoughts.

Zhou Yan stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to Fang Shi's array diagram. He said, "At first glance, Fang Shi's array diagram has symmetrical patterns and smooth spiritual energy flow, which is indeed pleasing to the eye. But look closely here, here, and here."

He reached out and pointed to three nodes, saying, "Each branch breaks at its end. When spiritual energy reaches its limit, it has nowhere to go and stagnates in the patterns. It looks bright, but it's actually superficial. If this array is used to purify the spirit, the spiritual energy will enter and not filter out many impurities; instead, it will add to the blockage. It looks good but is useless."

After saying that, he pointed his finger and gently tapped the center of the array. A thin white light, as thin as a hair, shot out from his fingertip and hit the center of the array.

With a soft "hiss," the blue-glowing patterns suddenly dimmed, their luster fading away inch by inch to reveal the true color of the blue bricks beneath.

Only a few shallow traces of cinnabar remained on the brick surface, crooked, loose, and discontinuous, a stark contrast to its bright and shiny appearance just moments before.

The independent cultivators gasped in shock.

Zhou Yan then walked to Chen Santai's array diagram and said, "Chen Santai's array diagram is not as evenly patterned as Fang Shi's, nor are its nodes as precise. But look here—"

He pointed to the end of the pattern and said, "Each branch leads to its proper place. When the spiritual energy reaches the end, it disperses into the array pivot stone, echoing each other and circulating endlessly. This is what a Qi-guiding pattern should look like."

Zhou Yan glanced at everyone and said, "I have already made my judgment on the results of the assessment. Fang Shi's array diagram is useless, while Chen Santai's array diagram, though not exquisite, is solid and usable, and he is qualified for this task."

"The array diagrams of the others are either crudely laid out with stagnant spiritual energy, barely passable; or the first half is acceptable, but the second half goes astray and becomes ineffective. And those that collapse halfway and have disordered patterns are not worth mentioning."

He announced loudly, "Therefore, from this day forward, the position of array cultivator in Qiyuan Town shall be overseen by Chen Santai."

The hall was completely silent.

Chen Santai stood there, stunned, his expression extremely complex. When he opened his mouth, his voice was somewhat hoarse: "Thank you, Immortal Master... This humble one... will certainly not fail your expectations."

Zhou Yan nodded slightly and said, "Although only one person was selected today, the rest of you should not be discouraged. Although Fang Shi's array diagram was in the wrong direction, his profound understanding and exquisite technique are evident to all of you. I will reward and punish fairly—Fang Shi will be rewarded with ten spirit fragments. The rest of you who completed the array diagram will each be rewarded with five spirit fragments."

Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, Immortal Master."

Upon hearing this, the independent cultivators who had completed the array quickly bowed and expressed their gratitude.

The four rogue cultivators whose patterns had crumbled were filled with regret—if only they had known that there would be a reward for completing the array, they would have risked their lives to stabilize the last stroke, instead of ending up empty-handed.

Two young Taoist boys came forward carrying cloth bags and distributed fragments of spirit energy to each person.

Although Chen Santai received no reward, he straightened his back, his face glowed, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

Just then, Fang Shi turned his head, and their eyes met in mid-air.

Chen Santai did not shy away, but instead met him calmly with a composed gaze.

He won today not by luck, but by the skills he has accumulated over more than a decade.

Although Fang Shi's skills are excellent, he is still too inexperienced and has gone astray. What is there to argue about?

Let this senior teach this junior a good lesson.

Zhou Yan waved his hand and said, "The rest of you may leave. Chen Santai, you stay behind. You go with the young Taoist to complete the formalities for your appointment."

Chen Santai bowed and said, "Yes."

He followed behind the young Taoist priest, walking out with his head held high and chest out.

The other independent cultivators bowed in agreement and withdrew as well.

The hall was empty except for Zhou Yan.

He returned to his seat, picked up the slightly cool teacup, took a slow sip, and his gaze fell on Fang Shi's already dimmed array diagram.

Suddenly, that familiar, sinister voice echoed in his mind: "I never expected that someone would actually master the correct Purification Array."

Zhou Yan put down his teacup and said indifferently, "What's the use of cultivation? Without resources, you can't even embark on the path of cultivation. Senior, are you perhaps being stingy with talent? Why are you praising a rogue cultivator?"

The voice sneered, "Cherish talent? This kind of talent is only somewhat interesting, not even worthy of my attention. In the Great Wilderness, there are countless people stronger than him. I was just mentioning it casually."

Zhou Yan remained silent.

The voice suddenly turned cold, saying, "The selection of people is done. You should quickly arrange their formation and help me retrieve that item. Remember, this is the important matter. If you are even a little late, I won't be able to guarantee your life."

Zhou Yan lowered his eyelids and said respectfully, "Senior, rest assured, I will not forget for a moment."

……

The sun was setting in the west, and the afternoon sunlight slanted across the bluestone path.

Fang Shi walked back, his steps neither fast nor slow, like an ordinary rogue cultivator returning home from the market, unhurried and unperturbed.

However, he suddenly gripped the ten shattered spirits in his arms tightly.

Ten grains—that's the money from drawing the talisman for two days.

But the monthly fee for those one hundred fragments of spirit is the fee for drawing talismans for twenty days.

It doesn't strain your meridians or delay your cultivation.

He went over it in his mind several times—if only he had figured out the Purification Formation earlier, if only he had known the right direction earlier, if only he hadn't been so eager to perfect the formation, if only he had finished drawing it earlier and handed it in earlier, and then had time to carefully check it later, how wonderful that would have been…

But there are never so many "what ifs" in this world.

That's it.

Although I lost the assessment today, I gained ten spirit fragments.

Although setting up the array made the meridians a little tired, it wasn't too heavy, and I could still draw another talisman.

If you dwell on it any longer, it becomes an obsession.

Fang Shi pushed open the courtyard gate and returned home. Without resting, he sat down directly in front of the talisman table.

He spread out yellow paper, ground cinnabar, picked up the spirit wolf brush, and drew a protective talisman in one go.

Where the brush touches the paper, the lines are clear, the technique flows seamlessly, and the work is completed in one breath.

[Proficiency in Protective Charm +1]

【Protective Charm (Proficient): 25/200】

He put down his pen, stood up, made hand seals, and silently chanted, activating the Dust-Avoiding Technique.

A pale blue light emanated from her fingertips, spreading across her body like ripples of water, washing away dust and cinnabar stains, leaving her feeling refreshed.

[Dust-Avoiding Technique Proficiency +1]

【Dust Repelling Technique (Proficient): 14/200】

Then Fang Shi got into bed and lay down fully clothed.

I thought the exhaustion from setting up the array and drawing the talismans would allow me to fall asleep peacefully.

But the white light from when Zhou Yan shattered the array diagram, the regretful or mocking expressions of the rogue cultivators, and Chen Santai's smug figure flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

He simply couldn't understand it.

I clearly had an excellent feel for setting up the formation, with smooth flow of spiritual energy, and my proficiency level on the panel had increased. How could it be as bad as Zhou Yan said?

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency -1]

Fang Shi felt a chill run down his spine.

He had just followed Zhou Yan's train of thought to recall the flaws in the patterns and the problems with the nodes—and it turned out that his proficiency level had been reduced.

He composed himself, clearing Zhou Yan's judgments from his mind and leaving only his own insights into the formation.

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

Fang Shi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the roof beam above his head, his mind a complete mess.

Was Zhou Yan wrong?

No, it's impossible.

That was a highly skilled disciple of the Three Plates Temple, whose mastery of formations far surpassed that of a mere rogue cultivator.

But if Zhou Yan is right, then is Chen Santai right?

Chen San-tai himself had seen that battle formation diagram.

The patterns were coarse, the spiritual energy was stagnant, and there were several obvious misalignments at certain points—yet the line of thought was clearly heading in the direction Zhou Yan had indicated.

Could it be that Chen Santai has actually chosen the right path?

Or perhaps... I didn't understand what Zhou Yan said at all?

Do you only understand the literal meaning but not the underlying principle?

Fang Shi closed his eyes, then opened them again, then closed them again, then opened them again, over and over, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

He simply stopped struggling and lay there, beginning the ritual of returning to one's roots.

Place both hands on your lower abdomen, palms facing inward, left hand on top, right hand on the bottom, with your thumbs gently touching.

With a long inhale, the mind sinks into the dantian, contemplates for a moment, and then slowly exhales as a breath of turbid air.

After repeating this three times, the breathing will become calm.

Next, shift your focus to the top of your head.

Silently repeat the word "relax" in your mind, and the tension in your scalp will melt away.

When you pronounce "eyebrow" again, your tightly furrowed brows will suddenly relax.

Eyes, nose, mouth, jaw—the relaxation extends all the way down, like ice melting and snow thawing, leaving every inch soft.

To the "shoulder" - both shoulders suddenly feel heavy, as if a thousand pounds have been lifted.

As for the "fingers"—all ten fingers felt as if they were soaking in warm water, soft and weak.

As for the "waist"—with the spine firmly against the bed, the waist muscles that have been tense all day also relax.

Then relax your hips, legs, knees, and feet, all the way down to your toes.

My whole body felt like a light, floating cotton ball, sinking into the mattress, completely weightless.

However, that restlessness resurfaced, and my heart felt like it was burning, and I couldn't calm down.

Fang Shi wasn't in a hurry. He started over, inhaling, exhaling, and relaxing again.

The second time, the timing was a bit better, but my mind was still buzzing with thoughts of the day, like a swarm of bees.

He started all over again.

The third time, the thought gradually faded, like the receding tide slowly retreating into the depths.

My limbs felt heavy, and my eyelids were so heavy I couldn't lift them.

The fourth time, the fifth time...

After an unknown amount of time, Fang Shi finally fell into a deep sleep.

His breathing became long and even, and his brows relaxed.

The resentment and anxiety he felt during the day have vanished without a trace.

[Reclining and Returning to Roots Proficiency +1]

【Reclining and Returning to One's Roots (Beginner): 97/100】

……

The next day, the sky was bright.

When Fang Shi opened his eyes, he realized he had slept from the afternoon until dawn the next day.

He got up, washed up, cooked porridge, ate his fill, and then went into the meditation room.

Spiritual energy surged from the earth's veins into the spirit-locking array, causing the patterns to light up and dim, with spiritual light flowing around, just as it always had.

Fang Shi stood in front of the formation. He had earned ten spirit fragments yesterday and originally planned to cultivate the "Minor Water Cloud Technique". However, when his gaze fell on the array patterns, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

He couldn't quite describe the feeling—perhaps it was the solace of lying down last night that had calmed the turbulent thoughts swirling in his mind.

The thoughts that had been pondering the Pure Yuan Formation, the insights that had been interrupted and suppressed by Zhou Yan's judgment, now surfaced bit by bit from the bottom of his mind.

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

After four consecutive ticks, the number on the panel jumped from [Pure Yuan Array (Beginner): 1/100] to [Pure Yuan Array (Beginner): 5/100].

When Fang Shi looked at the spirit-locking array on the wall again, he suddenly felt that there were a few patterns that could be modified.

Once the thought popped into his head, he couldn't suppress it. He acted immediately, casting a spell.

Yesterday, Zhou Yan rewarded him with ten Soul Shards, so he was still relatively well-off.

Even if this spirit-locking array is damaged, it can be repaired.

A pale blue light burst forth from his fingertips, probing into the patterns of the spirit-locking array like a wisp of silk.

The curvature of several turning points was slightly modified, sharp bends were turned into gentle slopes, an unnecessary node was removed, and another missing node was added.

Without close inspection, this extremely minor change is almost indistinguishable from the original.

[Purifying Yuan Formation Proficiency +1]

【Pure Yuan Formation (Beginner): 6/100】

Fang Shi finished his incantation and suddenly felt that the array patterns flowing with spiritual light vaguely revealed the structure of the Pure Yuan Array.

His heart skipped a beat: "This is...?"