155: Early signs of talent

"Apprentice, don't treat these as unique Formation Plates."

Lin Yu's voice rang out in Su Ming's mind.

"They are products, standardized industrial products. Understand?"

"Standardized?" Su Ming silently repeated this unfamiliar term in his mind.

"Exactly! Look, we uniformly call this type of edge damage 'Class A Damage.' And that type with worn core runes is called 'Class B Damage.'"

"All Class A Damage uses the first repair process. All Class B Damage uses the second. Don't think, don't innovate, just execute! This is called assembly line work!"

Su Ming's eyes suddenly lit up.

His brain, which had been tempered by Lin Yu's various baffling terms, instantly understood Lin Yu's meaning.

Categorize, model, apply!

Wasn't this exactly how he handled accounts?!

He immediately sorted the pile of scrap materials beside him into three stacks according to Lin Yu's "Damage Classification Method."

Then, he picked up fragments of the second shield formation.

This time, his speed was noticeably several times faster than the first.

He no longer needed to analyze every single fragment individually.

He only needed a glance at the damage type, and the corresponding repair process automatically appeared in his mind.

Cutting, grinding, splicing, adhering... His movements were still not fast, perhaps even a bit rigid.

But the smooth, flowing sense of motion made all the sneaking Utility Disciples feel an inexplicable dread.

"He... he seems faster again?"

"How is that possible? Repairing Formation Plates relies on inspiration and feel. Why would he keep getting faster?"

On the surface, Chen Ping was reviewing a materials list.

But his powerful Divine Sense was like an invisible net, enveloping Su Ming's every move.

"Something is wrong!"

Chen Ping's Divine Sense could clearly "see."

Every cut Su Ming made precisely accounted for the thickness of the Spiritual Power Adhesive.

Every splice he made perfectly utilized the structural stress of the fragments themselves.

When reshaping the core runes, he even directly eliminated an extremely subtle, almost negligible Energy Circuit Redundancy in the original design!

That redundancy was a habitual error made by the Bedrock Shield Formation's designer, carried through the Legacy for hundreds of years—even many Deacons of Formation Peak had never noticed it!

How did this Utility Disciple figure that out?!

For the first time, doubt arose in Chen Ping's mind regarding his own judgment.

Elder Ma... was he not just messing with me?

But actually sent me a... genius?

...There was still one hour until sunset.

Inside the Stone Hall, the clanging sounds of busy work continued.

Most Utility Disciples were still struggling desperately with the second shield formation.

In the corner, Su Ming slowly put down the Carving Knife in his hand.

On the empty ground in front of him, seven fully repaired Bedrock Shield Formations were neatly arranged.

Far exceeding the three that Chen Ping had requested.

He made no announcement and looked at no one.

He simply sat down quietly cross-legged, slowly closed his eyes, and began circulating the Green Wood Longevity Art to recover his depleted mental energy and Spiritual Power.

As if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

"Apprentice, that's right." Lin Yu's voice was full of satisfaction.

"When the deed is done, brush off your robes and hide your achievements and fame. You've mastered the demeanor of a true master."

The entire Stone Hall had fallen completely silent at some point.

All the Utility Disciples stopped their work, staring blankly at that corner.

They looked at the seven neatly arranged Formation Plates, then at the young man meditating with his eyes closed.

Their faces were filled with confusion and absurdity.

This thing... he repaired seven of them?

One person?

In one afternoon?

Using that pile of junk?

...At sunset, the last ray of twilight spilled down from the Stone Hall's dome.

Chen Ping put down the Jade Slip in his hand and stood up.

He ignored the flustered Utility Disciples and walked straight toward Su Ming.

Su Ming happened to open his eyes at that moment.

"Senior Brother Chen." He stood up and calmly bowed.

Chen Ping remained silent.

He simply squatted down and picked up the first repaired Formation Plate.

His expression was serious and cold.

Divine Sense probed, Spiritual Power injected.

Buzz—

A steady hum sounded.

Above the Formation Plate, a thick, earthy-yellow Light Barrier instantly spread open!

The Light Barrier was uniform, solid, and without the slightest fluctuation or flaw!

Chen Ping's pupils contracted slightly.

He put down the first one and picked up the second.

Activate!

The Light Barrier opened, operating perfectly!

The third!

The fourth!

...When the seventh Formation Plate likewise emitted a stable and solid light in his hand.

The seriousness on Chen Ping's face had completely vanished.

It was replaced by unconcealable shock.

He abruptly looked up, staring intently at Su Ming, his Divine Sense frantically sweeping through the Internal Circuitry of the seventh Formation Plate.

Then, he discovered it.

That erased, insignificant redundancy.

He clearly calculated that this tiny alteration alone made the Spiritual Power consumption of this shield formation lower than that of a brand-new standard Formation Plate by... half a percent!

Chen Ping's breath suddenly hitched.

He slowly stood up.

He looked at the calm-faced, faintly breathing Utility Disciple before him, remaining speechless for a long time.

The entire Stone Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes were focused on the two of them.

After a long while, Chen Ping looked deeply at Su Ming.

That gaze was completely different from when they first met.

He said nothing.

He simply turned and walked toward the outside of the Stone Hall.

His voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of complicated, hard-to-read emotion.

"The rest of you, continue."

"Su Ming, come with me."

Su Ming stood up, brushing off non-existent dust from his robes.

He ignored the dumbfounded Utility Disciples around him and calmly followed Chen Ping.

The two walked one after the other, passing through the noisy square and entering a secluded Side Hall.

The Side Hall was empty, with only a faint scent of Sandalwood lingering.

The Stone Door slowly closed behind them, cutting off all external noise.

Chen Ping did not look back, standing silently with his back to Su Ming.

Su Ming also did not speak, waiting quietly.

He knew that the real test was only beginning now.

After a long time, Chen Ping finally turned around slowly.