I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 9 Minor Water Cloud Technique

Fang Shi turned around and saw that it was Zhao Hu.

The hunter had somehow caught up from behind, rubbing his hands together with a smirk on his face.

Fang asked, "What kind of business?"

Zhao Hu said again, "The business of the Spirit Locking Array."

Fang Shi asked, "Why are you looking for me?"

Zhao Hu said awkwardly, "Isn't it because I can't fix it? The last time you helped me fix it, I pondered for several days and tried your method at the neighbor's place, but it only got worse and worse, and I almost destroyed the array core. That's why I thought I'd ask you to help."

Fang swore, "That's not what I meant."

Zhao Hu paused for a moment, his smirk fading, and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I won't lie to you. Every time Manager Tian raises the rent, everyone tightens their belts. Even when Daoist Huang repairs the Spirit-Locking Array, he still charges three fragments of spirit energy. Tell me, where do we get the money?"

The cost of independent practitioners—rent, rice, talismans, tuition—is all predetermined.

It's not that I don't want to save money, it's that I can't save any.

Fang swore, "Then I absolutely cannot do it."

Zhao Hu said urgently, "Fellow Daoist Fang, can't you reconsider?"

Fang swore, "No need to consider."

Zhao Hu wanted to say something more, but seeing that Fang Shi's expression remained unchanged and there was no room for negotiation in his eyes, he knew that there was no turning back.

He sighed, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and turned to leave.

Watching Zhao Hu walk away, Wu Tong asked with a puzzled look, "Brother Fang, why didn't you accept? You only earn five pills for drawing five talismans, but you can get at least one pill for repairing an array in a short time. It doesn't even strain your meridians. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

Fang Shi glanced at him and said, "Let's see how Master Huang reacts in the next two days."

Wu Tong scratched his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Fang Shi didn't explain further, and seeing this, Wu Tong had no choice but to leave.

……

In the afternoon, Fang Shi counted the spirit fragments he had obtained from selling the talismans, totaling twenty-seven. He wrapped them in a piece of gray cloth and put them in his pocket.

He locked the courtyard gate and went straight to the field manager's office to pay the rent.

After crossing two streets, we turned onto a wide bluestone avenue, where the area gradually became more lively.

After walking a while longer, a magnificent gatehouse came into view—it was the office of Sanpan Temple in Qiyuan Town. The plaque above the door, which read "Sanpan Courtyard," shone brightly in the sunlight.

The blue stone steps in front of the gate are polished smooth as a mirror, and there is a stone beast on each side with its fangs exposed.

Two young Taoist boys stood on either side, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

As Fang Shi stepped onto the steps, a young Taoist boy reached out to stop him, looked him up and down, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Fang Shi said, "Fang Shi, the cultivator who rented the room, come and pay the rent."

The young Taoist said, "Go in, turn left, and the third courtyard is it."

Fang thanked him and stepped inside.

Passing through the first courtyard, one sees a spacious courtyard paved with blue bricks, with a rockery in the center, a babbling stream, and several koi swimming leisurely in the pond.

The covered walkways on both sides are decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and the vermilion pillars are so thick that one person cannot encircle them.

Further in, the second courtyard is even more magnificent.

The main hall has five rooms, with lifelike carvings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects on the doors and windows.

Several pots of orchids were placed under the eaves, their fragrance filling the air.

Upon reaching the third courtyard, Fang Shi saw a spacious hall with a plaque hanging in front of the door that read "Zhi Si Ju" (质肆局).

There were already seven or eight people standing at the entrance of the hall; they were all casual monks who had come to pay their rent.

Some knew each other, some didn't; their faces were either blank or anxious, but they all lined up quietly, no one spoke loudly, no one whispered to each other.

Fang Shi walked over, stood at the end of the line, and waited silently.

An old acquaintance turned around; it was Zhou An, the one who sold spirit herbs.

He was alone. When he saw that it was Fang Shi, he nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Fang, you've come too."

Fang Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou has arrived early."

Zhou An was a little embarrassed and said, "What do you mean 'early'? We've been waiting for half an hour."

Fang Shi glanced at the line ahead, which only had five or six people waiting, and asked, "Hasn't Steward Tian arrived yet?"

Zhou An sighed and said, "He didn't come. He said he had something to do and told me to wait."

Fang Shi stood there as the sun gradually sank, falling from its zenith to the west, shining on everyone, and then slowly climbing up the blue bricks in the courtyard.

Half an hour has passed.

An hour has passed.

The queue grew longer and longer, stretching from the entrance of the main hall all the way into the second courtyard.

More and more independent cultivators arrived, each with an anxious expression on their face, yet none dared to urge them on or make a sound.

Fang Shi stood at the front of the line, motionless, his expression unchanged.

Zhou An was in front of him, already squatting down with his hands around his knees.

"When will we get here?" A young rogue cultivator behind Fang Shi couldn't help but mutter a complaint in a low voice.

An older man next to him immediately pulled him aside and whispered, "Shut up! Just wait. What right do you have to speak in this place?"

The young rogue cultivator shrank back, not daring to utter another word.

The sun was setting in the west, the afterglow like blood, and dusk had arrived.

Fang Shi secretly calculated the time in his mind, and his stomach was already starting to grow hungry.

He didn't eat much at noon, intending to eat after paying the rent, but he ended up waiting for half a day.

Just as I was pondering this, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted over.

The fragrance was strong and somewhat sweet, like the scent of rouge and face powder, which was completely out of place with the elegant atmosphere of the three-plate courtyard.

Following the scent, everyone looked in the direction of the aroma and saw Steward Tian walking in from outside.

He was still wearing that blue Taoist robe.

Her face was flushed, her eyes and brows were full of smiles, and she walked with a slight limp.

As he reached the entrance to the hall, he glanced at the long queue, his smile immediately fading, and he frowned, saying, "So many people?"

A young Taoist priest came out from inside the gate and bowed, saying, "Manager Tian, ​​we've all come to pay the rent. We've been waiting since noon."

Manager Tian waved his hand impatiently and said, "Alright, alright, stop dawdling and let's begin."

After saying that, he plopped down on the armchair in the center of the hall, took out a folding fan from his sleeve, unfolded it with a "whoosh," and slowly waved it.

The young Taoist priest quickly spread the booklet on the table, took out his pen and ink, arranged them properly, and then called out towards the door, "Come one by one. When your name is called, come in and pay your rent."

"Zhao Dehou!"

An old man at the front of the line responded, bowed as he entered the hall, and shakily pulled a cloth bag from his bosom, which he then presented with both hands.

Manager Tian glanced at it but didn't take it.

The young Taoist priest took the cloth bag, opened it, counted the grains, and said, "Twenty-seven grains, just right."

Manager Tian then gave a soft "hmm".

The young Taoist priest then picked up his brush and drew a checkmark under Zhao Dehou's name.

Zhao Dehou thanked him profusely and left.

"Han Ran!"

"Shi Qingshang!"

"Rong An!"

They called out to each one one by one, and handed over their papers one by one.

When it was Zhou An's turn, he handed over the Soul Shards, smiling obsequiously, and said, "Manager Tian, ​​here are twenty-seven. Please count them."

Manager Tian didn't even glance at him, simply fanning himself and saying indifferently, "Twenty-seven grains? Not thirty-seven?"

Zhou An said urgently, "My wife and I will not rent anymore. We will leave our child alone in Qiyuan Town to cultivate. My wife has already moved to a shack on the edge of the Great Wilderness. These twenty-seven grains are the rent for our child alone."

Manager Tian snapped his folding fan shut, pointed it at Zhou An, and said, "You think you can just move out like that? How do I know you're not lying to me? If everyone talked nonsense like you, and their whole family was still living in Qiyuan Town, how could I manage the rental business?"

Zhou An bowed repeatedly and said, "Manager Tian, ​​how could I dare to deceive you? My wife really has moved away. If you don't believe me, you can go and check."

Manager Tian glanced at him sideways for a while, snorted, and said, "I'll believe you this time. If I were to find you two still living in Qiyuan Town, the back payment won't be just a matter of ten or eight grains."

Zhou An's forehead was beaded with sweat as he said, "Yes, yes, Steward Tian, ​​don't worry, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

The young Taoist priest counted them and said, "Twenty-seven, just right."

Then I put a checkmark on the booklet.

Zhou An turned around, lowered his head, and walked out quickly without saying goodbye to Fang Shi.

Fang Shi saw this but didn't say anything.

When it was Fang Shi's turn, he walked into the hall, took out twenty-seven fragments of spirit from his pocket, and placed them on the table.

The young Taoist priest counted the names, found Fang Shi's name in the booklet, ticked it off, and said, "All done."

And so it went smoothly.

Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Steward Tian, ​​and thank you, Daoist Ye."

He turned and walked out.

Stepping out of the gate of Sanpan Bieyuan, the streets were sparsely populated, and the distant horizon still held a last vestige of dark red.

Fang Shi stood on the steps, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

With the rent paid, this month's biggest expense is gone.

Starting tomorrow, in addition to drawing one talisman each day, I can then properly cultivate the "Minor Water Cloud Technique".

……

The next day.

Inside the meditation room.

Fang Shi sat cross-legged on the futon, closed his eyes and concentrated, placed his hands on his knees with his palms facing the sky, which was the starting posture of the "Little Water Cloud Technique".

The spiritual energy enters from Baihui (GV20), flowing slowly down the Ren and Du meridians like a gentle stream.

He focused his mind and kept his thoughts closely following the spiritual energy, being meticulous and not daring to be distracted in the slightest.

The principle behind this cultivation is actually quite simple.

By absorbing external spiritual energy and allowing it to flow through specific meridians, and merging with one's own essence, energy, and spirit, the three can be combined to transform into magical power and reside in the dantian.

It may seem simple, but doing it is actually quite complicated.

People are different.

The twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians are slightly different in each person.

Some are a fraction longer, some a fraction shorter, some a little wider, and some a fraction narrower.

Not to mention the superficial meridians that exist outside the main meridians, which vary greatly from person to person.

Therefore, even the same exercise method should be adapted to different people and circumstances.

Zhang San uses a smooth method, but if Li Si tries to practice it, he might be as slow as a snail.

Wang Wu felt that if Zhao Liu used that loose, unhurried way of walking, it might cause a traffic jam.

At best, one's cultivation speed is as slow as a snail; at worst, one gets stuck at a bottleneck and makes no progress for three to five years.

Therefore, in the vicinity of Sanpanguan, there are also schools that specialize in teaching exercises.

A casual cultivator can spend a few spirit stones to attend school for a period of time, where a teacher will examine their pulse, regulate their breathing, and guide them through their confusion.

Of course, generally speaking, those who are willing to spend this money are usually parents supporting their children, just like Zhou An supporting Zhou Yuan.

You can't not spend it.

In the path of cultivation, if you take one step fast, you'll take every step fast.

The foundation laid in childhood often determines how far one can go in life.

If you take a wrong turn, disrupt your meridians, or slow down your progress during the Qi cultivation period, it will be too late to correct it later.

But Fang doesn't need to swear an oath.

He has a proficiency panel.

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency -1]

Fang Shi frowned.

Just now, the spiritual energy passed through the dantian, through the shin, and down the shoulder well, flowing smoothly and naturally like a stream flowing into a canal.

Halfway there, he suddenly felt a slight pause in his spiritual energy at the Shaoshang acupoint on his left hand, as if water had encountered a small whirlpool.

With a slight thought, he tried to shorten the time his spiritual energy stayed at the Shaoshang acupoint by a fraction of an instant—the feeling was faint, like a narrow path that he could easily pass by by turning sideways, saving time and effort, and seemingly quite helpful for what was to come.

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency -1]

wrong.

Fang Shi recalled the feeling of that moment just now.

I don't understand where I went wrong.

But he believed the panel, so he readjusted the distribution of spiritual energy.

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency +1]

correct.

With a firm resolve, Fang continued to push forward.

Although he hadn't properly practiced the "Minor Water Cloud Technique" these past few days due to fatigue in his meridians, his mind hadn't stopped even though his body had rested.

Whether walking on the street, in the intervals between drawing talismans, or even before eating and sleeping, he was always pondering the method of operating that technique.

Which parts flow smoothly, which parts are always blocked, which meridians have an excess of spiritual energy, and which have a deficiency?

These questions had gone through his mind countless times, like a game of chess where, though no pieces had been placed, he had already mentally rehearsed them a thousand times.

Now, it's time to verify.

Upon reaching Guanyuan, Fang Shi suddenly recalled a realization he had while drawing talismans.

The moment the magic power flows from the fingertips, the meridians will slightly contract, like the rebound of a bowstring after it has been drawn.

If this rebound force were used for the circulation of cultivation techniques, wouldn't the absorption of spiritual energy be more efficient?

He decided to give it a try.

Gather spiritual energy at the Guanyuan acupoint for a moment, then send it swiftly towards the dantian like releasing an arrow from a bow.

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency +1]

The spiritual energy flowed smoothly and freely into the body, accelerating in that instant.

Not only did it not cause any stagnation, but it also swept in even more spiritual energy in one go, like a mountain torrent bursting through the dam, unstoppable.

A slight warmth filled his dantian, and his magical power grew even stronger.

Fang Shi was overjoyed, but dared not relax and continued to operate.

The brilliant ideas that had accumulated over the past few days were verified one by one during the cultivation process.

If you get some right, your proficiency level will increase by 1.

If you make a mistake, your proficiency level will decrease by 1.

He wasn't upset when he fell; he immediately corrected his mistakes, tried again, and proved his point once more.

Like a key opening a lock, you keep trying and adjusting until you find the path that best suits your body.

……

Therefore, he vowed to cultivate himself every day without daring to slack off.

Every morning, I would first walk the seven steps of the spirit-summoning ceremony three times in the courtyard before returning to my cultivation room, sitting upright on the futon, and practicing the "Minor Water Cloud Technique".

Day after day passed in this way, and before we knew it, fourteen days had gone by.

【Seven Steps to Invoking Spirits (Beginner): 60/100】

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency +1]

[Small Water Cloud Technique (Beginner): 89/100]

Fang Shi opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and felt an indescribable sense of comfort throughout his body.

Look at that panel again—

[Refining Level 2 +1]

[Second Level of Spirit Refinement: 39/200]

On the 14th, the price of the second level of the alchemy shop rose from 36 to 39, a full 3 points increase.

He secretly calculated in his heart:

At this rate, it will take 6 months.

From 36 to 200, it's still 164 points away.

164 divided by 6 equals approximately 27 months, which is two years and three months.

However, in the following sixteen days, most of the time was spent drawing talismans, and the time for cultivation was fragmented and incomplete.

If we calculate it this way, it will probably take more than three years.

Unless the [Minor Water Cloud Technique] can be improved to a higher level and reach a state of proficiency, or the spirit stones can be left unattended and cultivated freely, then there will be a different story.

Fang Shi shook his head, putting the thought aside for the time being.

Thinking too much is pointless; making money is the priority.

The talisman for buying rice today has not yet been drawn.

After he finished drawing the talisman and went out to sell it, he suddenly saw Zhao Hu chasing after him from afar.

"Fellow Daoist Fang! Business is booming with Spirit-Locking Array orders!"