I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 1 The House Is Difficult to Lock the Spirit

A narrow passageway leads through the room, where sobs fill the air.

Fang Shi knew that this time, he was likely to lose a fragment of his spirit.

He immediately made a hand seal, and his magical power, like water, rippled with a pale blue light, which emanated from his meridians and struck the spirit-locking array on the wall.

A flash of spiritual light appeared on the array pattern, and it turned slightly, but there was no significant change. The spiritual energy continued to drift out through the gaps.

However—

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

Fang Shi nodded to himself, following the thought process he had used to repair the formation, deduced a repair plan, and then tried it out by performing hand seals.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency -1]

He pondered for a while, then tried another method, performing another incantation.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

This process repeated itself, with the hand gestures repeated again and again, proficiency rising and falling like the ebb and flow of the tide, never finding stability.

After struggling for half an hour, my proficiency with the Spirit Locking Array increased by 2. [Spirit Locking Array (Beginner)]: 98/100.

The spirit-locking array suddenly flashed with white light, and with two "poof" sounds, the array patterns could not withstand the pressure and collapsed in two places.

Fang Shi sighed. After all this turmoil, the loss of this one shattered spirit had turned into three shattered spirits.

So he went out and left.

I passed through the meditation room, crossed the courtyard, and opened the courtyard gate.

Sure enough, a child, about twelve years old, was sitting on the stone steps in front of the door. He was wearing a tattered Taoist robe with patches upon patches, barefoot, and unkempt. He was meditating with his eyes closed.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shi cursed, "You brat! How dare you invade my territory again?"

Wu Tong opened his eyes, grinned, and said, "Brother Fang is kind-hearted. Everyone else is kicking me out, but you're the only one who isn't."

Fang Shi said, "Kind-hearted? I rent this house for twenty-five spirit fragments a month, which is half a month's income. Why should I let you live here for free?"

Wu Tong scratched his head and said, "The residual spiritual energy in these houses often leaks out due to damage to the spirit-locking array. I'm just picking up some of the spilled liquid. The leaked spiritual energy can't be recovered anyway, so I'm not even allowed to use some?"

Fang Shi snorted: "You go and find that Fellow Daoist Li, or I'll beat you every time I see you."

Wu Tong grinned and said, "Alright, Brother Fang."

After saying that, he ran off in a flash.

Fang Shi returned to the cultivation room, feeling a slight soreness in his meridians. He had been performing hand seals and spells too frequently, and was now somewhat exhausted.

But he still sat cross-legged and began to circulate his own internal energy technique, the "Little Water Cloud Technique".

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency +1]

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency +1]

[Small Water Cloud Technique Proficiency -1]

[Refining Level 2 +1]

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Fellow Daoist Fang, this humble Daoist has come to repair the Spirit-Locking Array."

Fang Shi quickly finished his practice, got up, and went out to greet them.

There stood a Taoist priest outside the door. He was fair-skinned with a light beard and dressed in a clean and neat blue Taoist robe.

It was Li Daoyuan, who specialized in array formations.

Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Li. Please come in."

Li Daoyuan nodded slightly, said nothing more, and stepped inside.

Fang Shi glanced towards the door and saw that Wu Tong had slipped back at some point and was sitting by the wall, meditating with his eyes closed.

Fang Shi ignored him and simply closed the door.

The door lock was a bit damaged, and it got stuck slightly, requiring some effort to close.

His residence was not large, consisting of a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a cultivation room.

The training room was less than six feet square, and it felt crowded for two people to enter. Fang Shi then invited only Li Daoyuan to enter.

Li Daoyuan examined the wall for a while, then reached out and gently stroked the array patterns, saying, "This array has been neglected for many years. The spiritual energy has worn down the patterns, and they are already three-tenths loose."

After saying that, he pointed his finger at the key point of the array, frowned slightly, and said, "Huh? Something's not right here."

After a careful examination, he looked up at Fang Shi and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, there are traces of human intervention on this array. Improper repairs led to the misdirection of spiritual energy, causing two sections of the array's patterns to break. Did you attempt to repair it yourself?"

Fang Shi blushed and said, "To be honest, it is true. I am not skilled enough and acted presumptuously, but I did not expect to make things worse."

Li Daoyuan shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you rogue cultivators are always so overconfident. I know you want to save a few fragments of spirit energy, but your Spirit-Locking Array is still just a beginner's level, not a master's. This kind of money-saving method often turns minor ailments into major ones. What could have been repaired with just one fragment of spirit energy might now require three. Tell me, what's the point of saving this money?"

Fang Shi smiled apologetically and said, "Fellow Daoist is right, very right. I was rash, I will not dare to do it again next time."

Li Daoyuan said no more. He immediately made a hand seal, chanted incantations, and spiritual light flowed from his fingertips like silk threads, slowly disappearing into the spirit-locking array.

A moment later, a soft "hum" was heard, and the array patterns returned to their original order, the spiritual light flickering normally, and it was completely restored.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shi hurriedly pulled out a thin cloth bag from inside his clothes, carefully counted out three fragments of spirit from the bag, and handed them to Li Daoyuan.

Li Daoyuan took it, didn't even glance at it, and casually stuffed it into the bulging pouch at his waist, making a jingling sound. Then he lifted his foot and walked out.

Fang Shi personally escorted him to the door, cupping his hands in farewell.

Li Daoyuan didn't turn back and strode away.

Only after the figure turned the corner and walked away did Fang Shi turn around, intending to close the door.

Suddenly, a low voice was heard behind him: "Brother Fang, you got scolded by that guy again, didn't you?"

Fang Shi turned around and saw that it was Wu Tong.

The little monkey came closer, looking indignant.

Fang remained silent and did not answer.

Wu Tong continued, "That fellow is good at bluffing. He's always asking people to have him repair their formations, saying things like 'Don't let a minor illness become a major one'—but who doesn't know that if you keep asking him to repair them, every time you're not sick, you end up with a minor illness, and then a minor illness becomes a chronic one? In the long run, the spirit fragments he spends are far more than a single major illness! Any rogue cultivator who's been doing this for a while knows how to repair a spirit-locking formation, especially Brother Fang, who's the most skilled. He used to repair them himself all the time, saving countless spirit fragments. Besides, if it weren't for Manager Tian of Sanpan Temple managing the rentals and having connections with that fellow, would he even get a chance to do this business?"

After Wu Tong finished speaking, Fang Shi said, "Don't talk nonsense! If the Taoist priests at Sanpan Temple hear you making these things up, you'll lose your life!"

Wu Tong chuckled and ran off again in a flash.

……

Fang Shi returned to the cultivation room, but did not immediately sit cross-legged to cultivate.

His gaze fell on the spirit-locking array on the wall, which had been restored to its original state, and he carefully recalled Li Daoyuan's actions just now.

Suddenly, he made a gesture.

This technique involves gently tapping the air in front of you from afar.

A faint blue light flickered at my fingertips, like ripples on water, before vanishing without a trace.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency -1]

Fang Shi frowned slightly. The technique he had just used had released its spiritual power too early and withdrawn it too late, causing it to fall apart.

He started over, changing his approach. He compressed his spiritual energy into finer, finer still energy, releasing it slowly like drawing silk, and then made a hand seal.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency -1]

It's still wrong.

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he opened them again, he had found another way and made another gesture with his hand.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

Fang Shi was overjoyed; this was exactly what was going on!

He struck while the iron was hot, following this path, and came up with another trick.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

Pinch again.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

Pinch again.

[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]

[Spirit Locking Array Level Up: Beginner → Proficient↑]

It's done!