I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 77 Yu Hai

Fang Shi passed through the porch and then through a screen wall, and suddenly the view opened up before him.

A large hall is right in front of you.

There were already quite a few people inside, scattered in twos and threes, roughly twenty or thirty in total.

These people had varying levels of cultivation, ranging from the second level of Qi Refining to the late stage. A few late-stage Qi Refining cultivators sat in the central chair, their teacups steaming in front of them. Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators were scattered on chairs throughout the hall, some conversing quietly, others meditating with their eyes closed. As for those at the early stage of Qi Refining, like Fang Shi, they mostly gathered quietly on chairs in the corners of the hall, not daring to approach the center.

Fang Shi glanced at it and knew that the so-called gathering was far from starting.

When Xuanzhu said "You're the only one left," it was just a common tactic used by superiors to control their subordinates.

Just like that rent collector in the city, even though many people haven't paid their rent, he would still say, "You're the only one in the whole alley who hasn't paid, so don't drag others down with you."

At this moment, a middle-aged man in his forties stood up from the corner and waved to Fang Shi.

This man had fair skin; it was none other than Sun He.

He used to make a living by repairing formations in Qiyuan Town, but now he has been incorporated into the Zhenchong Division.

In this new timeline, he didn't remember testing the formations at the Three Plates Courtyard, nor did he remember asking about the formation patterns. However, since they worked in the same hall and were both at the second level of Qi Refining, they became familiar with each other after a few days.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, this way."

Sun He led Fang Shi to a corner and whispered, "You've come at the right time. I was just thinking that there are only a few of us on the second level of Qi Refining in this hall today. If you hadn't come, I wouldn't even have anyone to talk to."

Fang Shi asked, "Is there any peace today?"

Upon hearing this, Sun He's face fell. "Peaceful? Peaceful what! Today, while patrolling the alleys west of Qiyuan Town, I stumbled upon a vengeful spirit. I immediately drew the 'Armor-Shattering Awl' given to me by the Immortal Master Sanpan Temple, shattering most of its protective aura with a single thrust. But this thing consumes far too much magical power; I only managed two thrusts to kill it, and my dantian's magical power was completely depleted. Even though the immortals gave each of us pills to restore our magical power, those pills don't work immediately. In the blink of an eye, another vengeful spirit suddenly pounced, nearly severing my head. If it weren't for Senior Li, who was on patrol with me, casting a talisman to immobilize it in time, you probably wouldn't be seeing me today."

Fang Shi said, "The vengeful couple is indeed dangerous, but once we get rid of one, we'll have fifty shattered spirits, right? That's equivalent to a month's income in the past. Besides, aren't we both enjoying mid-grade first-level spiritual energy now?"

Although working in the Suppression Department means facing those evil and malevolent creatures, the rewards offered by the Sanpan Temple are quite generous.

Unlike when the earth veins exploded and people were frugal, nowadays, even those in the early stages of Qi Refining can enjoy first-tier mid-grade spiritual energy, those in the middle stages can enjoy first-tier high-grade spiritual energy, and those in the later stages can directly use second-tier spiritual energy, with all kinds of magical artifacts and pills readily available.

Those at the second level of Qi Refining, like Fang Shi, receive a guaranteed daily stipend of five Soul Shards. If they can independently eliminate a resentful couple at the early stage of Qi Refining, they receive an extra reward of fifty Soul Shards.

This is an incredible gesture for independent cultivators.

As for the "Senior Li" that Sun and Fang mentioned earlier, he was a tall, thin, and cold-faced late-stage Qi Refining cultivator named Li Fufeng, who patrolled the most dangerous core areas infested with filth and evil spirits.

It was really lucky that Sun He was able to bump into him in the alley on the west side.

Upon hearing this, Sun He's worried face immediately relaxed, and he said, "That's right. Being able to enjoy mid-grade first-level spiritual energy is something I never dared to dream of before. My child is ten years old this year and has just broken through to the first level of Qi Refining. It's just the right time. Fifty fragments of spiritual energy can be exchanged for another Qi Nourishing Pill for him."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shi remained silent for a moment.

He remembered clearly that Sun He had no children before the Awakening of Insects.

He lived alone in a small courtyard in the west alley of Qiyuan Town. He did nothing but cultivate his array and practice his cultivation. At forty years old, he was still only at the second level of Qi Refining. He was single-minded in his pursuit of the Dao and had never been heard to mention his family.

But now, the way Sun He talks about his child with such enthusiasm is clearly the expression of a father.

Fang Shi had also seen the child; the father and son's features were almost identical.

Of course, it's not surprising that they're exactly the same.

Even memories can be altered, making a person's appearance the most insignificant aspect.

But this is ultimately a violation of human ethics.

These marriages were forged out of thin air.

If the great power of morning dew is not just to erase or add, but to forcibly turn two people who were originally unrelated into a couple, make them share a bed, and make them believe that they are childhood sweethearts who have gone through thick and thin together, are they still the same people?

What about their children?

However, if it were Wanxia, ​​she probably wouldn't care about such a thing.

After all, she even betrayed her own sister, Chaolu, by linking Chaolu's marriage and fate with her own.

But what about the morning dew?

Does the morning dew really care?

If someone truly cared, they wouldn't have called him "husband" at the end.

He put those thoughts aside, nodded slightly to Sun He, and said, "Your son has already reached the first level of Qi Refining at the age of ten. His talent is not bad. It is his blessing to have a father as hardworking as you."

Upon hearing this, Sun He quickly waved his hand and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, you flatter me. I don't dare to think too much about his aptitude. I only hope that he grows up safely and peacefully, and doesn't waste most of his life like I did, only reaching the second level of Qi Refining."

Xuanzhu turned out of the alley, and the supernatural power was no longer suppressed.

With one step, he was already dozens of feet away; with another step, he arrived at the center of the market.

Before them stood a magnificent building several times larger than the Zhenchongsi Temple, with triple eaves and copper bells hanging from the corners.

Xuanzhu stretched out a foot clad in moon-white cloud-patterned shoes, took another step, and disappeared into the rain.

Suddenly, my eyes lit up.

The air is filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, the spring water murmurs gently, and colorful butterflies flutter among the exotic plants, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a celestial abode.

It was so much clearer than the continuous rain outside.

Xuanzhu did not stop and took another step.

This step leads to the summit.

The mountaintop is flat and smooth, the pine trees rustle like waves, and beneath the pines lies a blue stone chessboard. Black and white pieces are scattered on the board, representing a half-finished game.

-

A thin young man, dressed in a dark green Taoist robe, sat on one side of the chessboard, holding a black piece and deep in thought as he looked at the game.

Suddenly, he put down the chess piece in his hand, quickly stood up, and cupped his hands, saying, "Senior Sister Xuanzhu, what brings you here to see me?"

Xuanzhu walked to the chessboard, but did not sit down. Instead, she looked down at the unfinished game and remained silent for a moment before speaking: "With the fall of the Forgetful Water Lord, the universe is in turmoil, and I am somewhat confused."

Upon hearing this, Xuanmu was slightly taken aback, then laughed and said, "Senior Sister, you wield the Crimson Token, and in divination and prophecy, no one in the temple can surpass you. What in this world could possibly confuse you?"

Xuanzhu shook her head and said calmly, "The more you understand, the less you understand."

Xuanmu said, "In my opinion, Junior Brother, what's there to understand or not understand? The matter of the Universe Sea is ultimately not something of our world. It's all just dust that fell in from elsewhere. Dust falls into water and stirs up ripples. What we need to do is simply eliminate those anomalies and calm the turmoil in the Universe Sea. Once the ripples subside, the reflection in the water will naturally return to normal, and everything will return to its original state."

Xuanzhu raised her eyes, glanced at him, and asked, "Are you willing?"

Xuanmu said, "Senior Sister, why ask me? If you asked me if I would be willing to restore everything to its original state, I would certainly be. But restoring it to its original state" is not so easy. Senior Sister, you and I both know that when we came to the Great Wilderness to establish our sect, wasn't it because there was still a gap in this world? But even with a gap, the path is not easy to climb. After Foundation Establishment, every step upward is like stepping into the void on a ladder to heaven. Countless people are trapped at the bottleneck, unable to make any further progress in their entire lives."

He sighed and continued, "Now that the True Monarch has fallen, the Universe is in turmoil, and the rift has opened. If Senior Brother Xuanqing and Senior Brother Xuange want to use this rift to enter the Universe ahead of time, even if they only hover around the edge, it would be an immense opportunity. They might even glimpse a chance to advance further. Do you think they would be willing to stop at this time?"

"So I don't want to, but I can't stop them. Fortunately, there is my senior sister's Suppression Division. As long as the situation in the four towns of Pan City can be stabilized and the anomalies suppressed, it will not lead to a major disaster."

Xuanzhu asked, "Then aren't you going to seek the Dao?"

Xuanmu laughed and said, "Of course I seek the Dao. It is precisely because I seek the Dao that I remain in Pan City, guarding the flourishing and withering of the plants and trees in the four towns."

Senior sister, our paths are different, and the methods we seek are different too. I stay here; this is my path.

"And what about Senior Sister? Is her path to enlightenment in the Suppression Division?"

Suddenly, a person flashed past Xuanzhu's eyes.

The man stood in the rain, holding a plain oil-paper umbrella. His Taoist robe was faded from washing, and his cultivation level was pitifully low.

She had calculated that person's fate and concluded that they should never have any connection.

But ironically, the divination showed that the person would be beneficial to her spiritual path.

The changing lines of the hexagram Shi (師) are Kan (坎) below and Li (離) above, signifying neither closeness nor distance, neither too intimate nor too estranged.

"Searching, therefore not understanding."

Xuanmu looked at her but didn't press the matter. He picked up another black piece and said softly, "If you can't find it, you might as well make a move. Senior Sister, would you like to sit down and finish this unfinished game with me?"

Suddenly, the hall fell silent. A young man wearing an apricot-yellow Taoist robe embroidered with a three-colored cloud pattern came out from the back hall and walked straight to the main seat in the hall.

This man looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome face, but his brows revealed a sharpness born of years of experience. He was Zhou Jingxu, an inner disciple of the Sanpan Temple, with the cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He was ordered by Xuanzhu to assist in the daily scheduling of the Suppressing Evil Division.

"The reason I have gathered you all here today is to summarize the strange occurrences we have encountered in the four towns over the past ten days, so that no one will risk their life to test the rules again."

"The first one is the Hand in the Mist. This thing only appears on foggy nights. A semi-transparent human hand will emerge from the fog, with long, slender fingers and a palm facing upwards, as if begging for something. If you encounter it, you must not put anything into its palm, nor should you high-five or shake hands with it—once there is any contact, a second hand, a third hand will grow from the fog, until it tears you to pieces. The way to deal with this thing was discovered by Fellow Daoist Li Fufeng. You only need to flick a shard of spirit into its palm, and the hand will retract into the fog on its own and not reappear within a hundred breaths."

"The second one is the mirror demon. This creature resides in mirrors, water, and even eyeballs. The reflection of a person in the mirror has an extra finger on their left hand. Anyone who sees six fingers in their reflection must shatter the mirror with their magic within three breaths. A few days ago, a rogue cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining was killed because he couldn't bear to destroy his mirror magic treasure. He hesitated for two breaths, and in the third breath, he was dragged into the mirror. To this day, his body is nowhere to be found."

"The third item is a clay statue. This object resembles a temple deity and only appears in uninhabited houses. Its eyes are closed, and its body is covered with cracks from which the scent of sandalwood emanates. Anyone who smells the sandalwood will involuntarily kneel and kowtow before the clay statue. The first kowtow causes the body's magical power to solidify; the second kowtow causes the blood and qi to reverse; and the third kowtow causes the soul to dissipate and the person to die. This object is impervious to armor-breaking spikes, talismans, and magical power. The only way to deal with it is to not smell, not look at, and not enter. If you smell the sandalwood, immediately cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth and retreat at least ten feet away. Never step into the threshold of that house."

"The fourth one————"

The hall was deathly silent; even the few late-stage Qi Refining cultivators looked solemn.

Fang Shi sat in the corner, memorizing every word.

These meetings, held daily, are essentially lessons learned from the deaths of colleagues, meant to prevent the living from repeating the same mistakes.

However, Xuanzhu never participated.

Zhou Jingxu concluded, "Remember, the methods for dealing with these things must never be revealed to unrelated individuals. The power of these strange entities increases with the number of people who know about them. The more people who know, the stronger they become. If anyone leaks what they've heard today, not only will it fail to save people, but it will also fuel the arrogance of these strange entities, bringing disaster upon the entire Suppression Division. Do you all understand?"

Everyone readily agreed.

Zhou Jingxu waved his hand, indicating that the meeting was adjourned.

Fang Shi stood up, said goodbye to Sun He, and then turned and left the gate of the Zhenchong Division.

The rain had lessened since it started, but the darkness deepened as night fell, leaving only blurry outlines of the eaves on both sides of the street.

He opened his oil-paper umbrella and walked back along the road he had come from, passing through the east end of Panshi and heading north towards his home in Taoyuan Town.

There were no pedestrians on the street, and the shops on both sides had already closed their doors, with a few dim lights shining through the cracks.

The only sounds on the street were Fang Shi's footsteps and the incessant sound of rain on his umbrella.

Just then, a very faint fragrance wafted into his nose.

The fragrance was extremely faint, mixed with the dampness of the rain and the fishy smell of moss, almost imperceptible, like someone lighting an incense stick in the far distance.

Fang Shi's steps suddenly stopped.

His gaze pierced through the fine rain and landed on the base of the wall at the street corner ahead.

There, at the corner between the two courtyard walls, a clay statue had appeared out of nowhere.

The clay sculpture resembles a god, but is covered in cracks.