I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 44 was just a collision.

Fang Shi was meditating cross-legged in the dark room, his spiritual energy flowing through the Taiyin, Shaoyin, and Jueyin channels, the three Yin channels converging like a stream flowing into a river, warm and continuous.

Qi Xueyi sat opposite him, cupping her face in her hands, gazing intently at him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Suddenly, the smile on her face faltered, and her gaze shifted from Fang Shi's face to the north of Qiyuan Town.

Fang Shi noticed the shift in the gaze and slowly opened his eyes.

He asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Xueyi turned her head, flashed a bright smile, and said, "I'm so happy just thinking about something wonderful."

Fang Shidao said, "Oh."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xueyi frowned, her cheeks puffing out slightly, and said, "Doesn't my husband want to know what it is?"

Fang Shi asked, "What is it?"

Qi Xueyi's brows immediately relaxed, her eyes crinkling into a smile. She said, "In the northern part of the Great Wilderness, there's a valley called Falling Star Valley. It's filled with wild lilacs. In May, the mountains and fields are covered in purple lilac blossoms. When the wind blows, the petals fall like rain—it's incredibly beautiful. Husband, shall we go to Falling Star Valley to see the lilacs together in May?"

Fang Shi said, "That place is a wilderness, very dangerous."

Qi Xueyi smiled and said, "It's alright, I'm here, I'll make sure my husband is safe."

Although both Zhao Xuan and Han Mu were nun cultivators from Taoyuan Town, their roles differed.

Han Mu was in charge of testing the talismans on people, using living people to observe their effects and changes.

Zhao Xuan was in charge of testing the venues with talismans, specifically choosing the places with the heaviest turbidity, using talismans to suppress it and spirits to cleanse it.

On this day, Zhao Xuan brought a rogue cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining to the ruins of the Sanpan Villa after the explosion.

The ruins are no longer what they used to be.

The ley line explosion turned that cluster of pavilions and palaces into a deep crater, with rubble and tiles piled up into small hills, and charred wooden beams stuck diagonally into the ground.

Every now and then, residual turbid air would surge up from the bottom of the pit, hazy and gray.

Zhao Xuan stood at the edge of the pit, frowned and stared for a moment, then took out a stack of purification talismans from his sleeve and handed them to the rogue cultivator beside him.

"Paste, along the edge of the pit, every twenty steps, until you reach the other side."

The rogue cultivator's surname was Meng, and his given name was Hengshan. He was short and stout, with a round face that always wore a smile. He looked honest and simple, but in reality, he was cunning and shrewd.

He is quite adept at reading people's expressions.

"Yes, senior."

Meng Hengshan took the talisman and began to paste it along the edge of the pit.

They've tried it many times before and know the ropes well; today is just another routine.

Halfway through pasting the talisman, Zhao Xuan waved behind him.

Several independent cultivators from the Jiazi District walked over from a distance, all of whom were chosen for observation purposes.

Zhao Xuan gave each of them a talisman and told them to walk around the deep pit, then enter the pit again, and see where there were any unusual movements or unstable spiritual light. They were to write them down and report back.

After receiving the talismans, the rogue cultivators dispersed, walking and stopping along the edge of the pit, sometimes bending down to examine the talismans, and sometimes looking up at the turbid air at the bottom of the pit.

One last look at the turbid air drifting from the pit, the promise of the Three Plates Temple, the purification talisman in hand, and the fact that they had entered the pit a few days ago, there was nothing to hesitate about, so they all jumped into the pit.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, people returned one after another, and their reports were all similar—the talisman's spiritual light was stable, the turbid energy did not fluctuate abnormally, and there was no unusual movement at the bottom of the pit.

After listening, Zhao Xuan nodded, turned to Meng Hengshan, and said, "Go in and give it a try."

Meng Hengshan paused for a moment, then asked, "Do I want one too?"

Zhao Xuan said, "We've tried it so many times. You're the support, how can you know the effect of the talisman if you don't test it yourself? Go in and take a walk around, see what it feels like inside."

Meng Hengshan dared not refuse and walked down along the edge of the pit.

The figure was quickly swallowed up by the turbid air and disappeared without a trace.

Zhao Xuan stood at the edge of the pit, his gaze unchanged. Since none of the rogue cultivators from the Jia-class area showed any abnormality, Meng Hengshan should also be normal.

After a while, footsteps were heard from the murky air, and Meng Hengshan emerged from the fog, showing no signs of anything amiss.

He said, "Senior, everything inside is normal. I feel much better after applying the cleansing talisman."

Zhao Xuan hummed in agreement and said, "Then let's go."

As he spoke, he turned and walked back.

Meng Hengshan followed behind, and after a few steps, for some reason, his pace suddenly quickened, and he caught up with Zhao Xuan in a few steps. He couldn't stop in time and bumped into Zhao Xuan's back.

Zhao Xuan swayed, then whirled around, his face ashen, and snapped, "Why are you walking so fast? In a hurry to be reborn?"

Meng Hengshan retreated repeatedly, his face full of fear, and stammered, "Senior, please forgive me, I—I didn't mean to. It's just that when I was testing the talisman just now, for some reason, a lot of messy things suddenly popped into my head, and I was so confused that I was a little disoriented and didn't watch where I was going."

Zhao Xuan stared at him for a moment, his expression softening slightly, but still carrying a hint of displeasure. He said, "It seems that the turbid energy was affecting you. Now that the Cleansing Talisman is working, it's causing your memory to become confused. Never mind, just watch where you're going from now on, and don't be so careless."

Meng Hengshan bowed repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, senior is right. I will remember this and never dare to do it again."

Zhao Xuan snorted, turned around, and continued walking forward.

Meng Hengshan followed behind, slowing his pace considerably, his head bowed, not daring to get any closer.

Zhao Xuan didn't notice that when Meng Hengshan caught up, his eyes had turned as black as ink.

On Zhao Xuan's back, where Meng Hengshan had bumped into him, a wisp of extremely thin and faint black energy flashed by.

After Zhao Hu went to draw the talisman, he and Sun He started building a house together.

At that moment, Zhao Hu was carrying a wooden beam to put on the wall. Sun He, who was crawling on the ground setting up the formation, suddenly sighed and said, "Brother Zhao, when will this end? You carry bricks and build walls every day, and I set up formations every day. We're exhausted like dogs. We're not even as good as those who draw talismans."

-

Zhao Hu asked, "What, you want to draw talismans too?"

Sun He said, "I wouldn't even dare to think about drawing talismans. With my limited skills, I can barely draw a simple outline of a spirit-locking array. I just really envy Fellow Daoist Fang. His cultivation has already reached a high level, and he's still drawing talismans."

Zhao Hu was about to say there was no need to be envious, that it was because others were more capable, but he changed his mind and said, "So what if they've reached the inner sanctum? They still live in tents like us, don't they? It's not like they immediately reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

Sun He shook his head and said, "It's different now. Once you've mastered a technique, it's like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining is just a matter of time. Unlike us, we can practice our whole lives and still not reach that threshold."

As he spoke, his gaze dimmed, and his movements slowed.

Just as Zhao Hu was about to reply, he suddenly saw several figures walking over from the other side of the construction site.

These were the same rogue cultivators who had just helped Zhao Xuan with his test; they were all acquaintances from the Jia-rank district.

As they approached, one of the rogue cultivators, surnamed Qian, squatted down and said, "Brother Zhao, Brother Sun, are you still doing this hard labor?"

Sun He said, "If I don't do hard labor, will you support me?"

The man surnamed Qian smiled, took out a fragment of spirit from his pocket, twirled it twice on his fingertip, and said, "Today I helped Senior Zhao test the talisman, and all I had to do was take the Cleansing Spirit Talisman for a short while. I received a fragment of spirit as a reward."

Sun He's eyes lit up, and he said, "A Shattered Spirit? Just going in for a quick look?"

The man surnamed Qian nodded smugly and said, "That's right. Just stick on a talisman, walk around, and you've got a Soul Shard."

Sun He said, "Are you short of people? Take me with you next time."

Before the man surnamed Qian could answer, another rogue cultivator chimed in, "What's a Shattered Spirit? Even talisman cultivators have spiritual veins to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu said, "At least you guys have some broken spirit stones to take, but we repairmen have nothing?"

The rogue cultivator said, "But it's still not as good as a talisman cultivator. I'd rather exchange this shattered spirit for half an hour of cultivation in the spiritual vein every day."

Upon hearing this, several independent cultivators who were testing the skill suddenly felt that their own Soul Shards weren't so appealing anymore.

The man surnamed Qian patted his knee, stood up, and said, "Forget it, it's not the best, but it's not the worst either. Let's go back and rest; we have to keep going tomorrow."

As he spoke, he turned to leave, but his thigh swung unintentionally and bumped into Sun He's shoulder.

Seeing this, Sun He frowned and said, "Watch where you're going, your thigh bumped into me."

The man surnamed Qian turned around with an apologetic smile on his face and said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

Suddenly, he grinned and said, "Since you're unhappy about being hit, I'll find Zhao Hu to hit too, and we'll be even."

After saying that, he turned around and bumped into Zhao Hu on the shoulder.

Zhao Hu frowned and said, "Stop fooling around. Why are you acting like a child? How old are you? Stop playing these kinds of tricks."

The man surnamed Qian smiled and said, "Brother Zhao is right. Let's stop fooling around and go."

He turned around and walked towards the few rogue cultivators who were taking the test.

The group walked back side by side, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Zhao Hu didn't care about being hit, and neither did Sun He; the two continued working.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a faint wisp of black smoke flashed past where the two were struck.

After Zhao Xuan was hit by Meng Hengshan, he felt a persistent itch on his back, as if an ant was crawling under his skin.

He reached out and scratched, but found nothing. Instead, the more he scratched, the itchier it became, and the more annoyed he got.

After walking an arrow's length away, he finally couldn't hold back any longer. He turned around abruptly and cursed at Meng Hengshan, "You blind fool! It's one thing to not watch where you're going, but you can't even draw a proper talisman! Go back and practice drawing simple talismans a few more times. Stop being so clumsy and embarrassing all the time!"

Meng Hengshan bowed repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, senior, please calm down. I will draw it as soon as I get back."

Zhao Xuan snorted and turned around to continue walking.

Strangely enough, after I finished cursing, the itching on my back subsided a bit, and the nameless irritation in my heart also dissipated considerably.

He stretched his shoulders and felt a bit more relaxed.

Back in the stone house where he drew the talisman, Zhao Xuan sat down and took a sip of tea. Although the itching had subsided, it hadn't completely disappeared. Instead, it spurted up his spine and down to the back of his head, turning into a strange impulse.

He wanted to find someone to bump into.

The idea came out of nowhere, yet it seemed like a stroke of genius, as if it were a thought that had arisen from the depths of his heart, and he didn't find it strange at all.

He stood up and stretched his shoulders.

Who should I look for?

Of course, I'll go find my old friend Han Mu.

The two of them were the closest friends when they were in Taoyuan Town, and he was the first person she would think of when there was something good.

Before leaving, he turned back and pointed at Meng Hengshan's nose, saying, "You, stay here and draw the talismans properly, don't be lazy."

"If you haven't drawn at least fifty paintings by the time I get back, you're not allowed to eat dinner tonight."

Meng Hengshan shrank his neck and said, "Yes, senior."

Zhao Xuan nodded in satisfaction and strode out the door.

They arrived at Han Mu's stone house next door.

Pushing open the door, they saw Han Mu hunched over the talisman table, holding a talisman brush in his hand, drawing talismans stroke by stroke.

Zhao Xuan was slightly taken aback and said, "Sixth Brother, why are you drawing by yourself? What about Fang Shi, the one you found? Wasn't he supposed to have mastered advanced techniques and be able to infuse your body with spiritual energy? What, did he run away?"

Han Mu looked up, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.

He put down his pen, chuckled twice, and said, "Not at all, I was just doing this because I had nothing else to do, so I drew a few pictures to practice."

Zhao Xuan walked over and sat down opposite Han Mu, his gaze sweeping over Han Mu's face. He said, "You brought Fang Shi here just to find a laborer so you could have time to cultivate, right? Why did you end up drawing the picture yourself? Is that kid disobedient?"

Han Mu quickly said, "No, no, Fellow Daoist Fang is very obedient and draws very well. It's just—"

He was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain.

He couldn't very well say that he had already bowed down after discovering yesterday that Fang Shi's backer was truly formidable.

How can I put my face after saying that?

Han Mu had been in Taoyuan Town for over a decade. Although he wasn't a big shot, he was still a man of some standing.

The matter of being arrogant at first and then obsequious is something you should keep to yourself; why would you say it out loud?

Seeing that he was stammering and still calling Fang Shi a fellow Daoist, Zhao Xuan was about to ask him again when he suddenly heard the curtain rustle.

Fang Shi emerged from the dark chamber, his spiritual energy not yet fully concealed, a faint blue halo emanating from his body, clearly indicating that he had just finished his practice.

Seeing Zhao Xuan sitting opposite Han Mu, he cupped his hands and said, "Senior Zhao."

Zhao Xuan stood up and looked at Fang Shi.

He already had an urge to bump into him, and when he saw Fang Shi come out, that urge seemed to have found a target. He naturally took two steps toward Fang Shi, reached out his hand, seemingly to pat his shoulder, but in reality, he swung his arm horizontally, intending to bump into him.

"Young friend Fang, how is your cultivation progressing?"

Zhao Xuan smiled and spoke casually, as if it were just a casual greeting.

Just as they were about to collide with Fang Shi, a figure suddenly cut in from the side, squeezing between the two.

With a muffled thud, Zhao Xuan's shoulder slammed heavily into Han Mu's chest.

Both of them staggered at the same time, and Han Mu took two steps back.

Zhao Xuan was also taken aback. He paused for a moment, then frowned and said unhappily, "What are you doing? Han Mu, are you crazy?!"