159: incident

Runes flowed beneath the brush. Su Ming was completely focused, observing his own state. Lin Yu's Soul Power, like the most precise sensor, enveloped Su Ming's wrist, the brush handle, and the Rune that was slowly taking shape.

A quarter of an hour later, the simplest “Gathering Spirit” Rune was completed. It flashed faintly and began operating stably.

“How does it feel?” Lin Yu asked immediately.

Su Ming carefully reflected on the experience, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: “Master, while inscribing, I felt... the consumption of Divine Sense seemed slightly less than usual, my brushstrokes were steadier, and my Heart-Nature was more serene and concentrated.”

“As expected...” There was no joy in Lin Yu's soul message, only deeper caution. “This Inkstick indeed possesses the miraculous effects of Nurturing Divine Sense and increasing the stability of inscription. Based on this effect alone, this item is extremely valuable, far beyond what your few Low-Grade Spirit Stones could compare to.”

“Then Li Kai...”

“The favor is greater, but he is also more suspicious!” Lin Yu interrupted him. “How could he, a mere handyman, obtain such a precious item? And why would he give it to you so easily? This matter is absolutely not simple!”

He looked at the Inkstick as if it were a hot potato.

“This item must be temporarily sealed away. Before we thoroughly understand Li Kai's background and intentions, it must absolutely not be used for the maintenance of core Formations like the ‘Safe House’! Use it cautiously even for daily practice, and constantly observe if there are any subsequent effects.”

Just as Su Ming held his breath and concentrated, and the tip of his brush was about to touch the old Formation Plate, Lin Yu's warning sounded again:

“Remember, disciple, there are no free lunches! In this perilous cultivation world, besides your Master, you must maintain twelve parts of vigilance toward everyone! Any seemingly good fortune or gift might have a price tag attached that you cannot afford!”

Su Ming understood in his heart that Li Kai's “silent gift” was worth far more than he had imagined.

He recorded this favor. At the same time, he became even more certain that in this Sect, only by improving himself quietly could he cope with the unknown storms... Several days later, at the Basic Formation Pattern Maintenance Office.

Su Ming was guiding two newly arrived handymen in repairing a “Bedrock Shield Formation” according to the “Standardized Procedure” he had compiled. His explanation was profound yet simple, based entirely on data analysis and structural mechanics, causing the two handymen to nod repeatedly, their eyes filled with admiration.

“Junior Brother Su, your method is truly useful! I used to get dizzy just looking at the Runes, but now, following your ‘Three-Step Inspection Method,’ I immediately know where the problem is!”

Su Ming smiled gently: “It's just practice makes perfect. If the two Senior Brothers practice more, you will definitely do better.”

His willingness to share and his methods that genuinely improved efficiency earned him an excellent reputation among the low-level handymen at the Maintenance Office.

However, not everyone was happy to see this.

Not far away, Steward Sun looked at the harmonious scene with a somewhat gloomy expression.

He was highly experienced but had never managed to achieve a Golden Core Breakthrough. Seeing Chen Ping rely more and more heavily on Su Ming, even showing signs of letting him share management responsibilities, a sense of jealousy and crisis inevitably rose in his heart.

“A piece of trash with a destroyed Foundation, relying on some Evil Path tricks, is he fit to dictate things here?” He cursed inwardly, pondering how to find an opportunity to make this kid realize his place and stop getting so carried away... Formation Peak, deep within the sea of clouds.

An Immortal Cave hung suspended outside a cliff face. There was no plaque at the entrance, only gathering and dispersing flowing clouds, and Immortal Cranes occasionally perching there.

Inside the Immortal Cave, there was a game of incomplete Go, and two cups of clear tea.

A Middle-aged Man in Blue Robes sat opposite Elder Ma, holding a black stone between his fingers, hesitating to drop it.

His appearance was ordinary, making him hard to find if mixed into a crowd. His aura was extremely restrained, deep as an abyss and vast as the sea; if one didn't see him with their own eyes, Divine Sense sweeping over him might mistake him for a rock.

Only his pair of eyes, when opening and closing, seemed to hold the rotation of star rivers, capable of shaking one's mind and spirit.

Between the two men, a curtain of water was suspended.

Light and shadow flowed within the water curtain, clearly reflecting a corner of the Basic Formation Pattern Maintenance Office, with the focus being the young man silently working in the corner, Su Ming.

The Middle-aged Man in Blue Robes looked at Su Ming in the water curtain, his eyes calm and waveless. The black stone in his hand finally dropped.

“Clack.”

The piece settled, sealing off the white side's last chance of survival.

“This child's Heart-Nature is calm, revealing true ability in the minor details. His Foundation is built unusually solidly.”

The Middle-aged Man in Blue Robes picked up his teacup, his tone flat, betraying no hint of happiness or anger.

“Unfortunately, the damage to his Dao Foundation is like an insurmountable chasm, ultimately restricting his future. Junior Brother Ma, you seem to have invested too much effort into him.”

His assessment was objective and sharp, cutting straight to the core.

Elder Ma was not disheartened by the loss of the game. His cloudy eyes looked at Su Ming in the water curtain, revealing a rare, heartfelt smile.

“Senior Brother is insightful.”

“However, the Sect is like a giant ship, and its power does not rely solely on the strength of its masts and sails.”

Elder Ma's “defense” of Su Ming did not emphasize his talent, but his “system value.”

“This child might not become the sharpest sword charging at the front, but if he can become a reliable rivet maintaining the operation of the giant ship, his value might not be lower than that of a True Disciple.”

The Middle-aged Man in Blue Robes neither confirmed nor denied this.

His slender fingers gently swept across the chessboard; the pieces returned to their starting positions, and the game was completely refreshed.

At the same time, a wisp of clear breeze escaped from his fingertips, penetrated the water curtain, and silently merged into the vast information flow of the Cloud Hidden Sect.

“Let's see how he handles the upcoming storm.”

“If he can see through it, it proves he is qualified to become the ‘rivet’ you spoke of; if he cannot... then that is his fate, and he is not worth your further trouble.”

...Basic Formation Pattern Maintenance Office.

Inside the stone hall, the scene was still bustling.

Steward Sun was currently cursing several handymen.

“Idiots! All of you are idiots! How can you mess up the energy node of such a simple ‘Tranquility Formation’!”

Suddenly, the transmission Jade Slip on his waist lit up slightly.

Steward Sun probed it with his Divine Sense. The anger on his face instantly froze, then transformed into a hint of imperceptible flattery and excitement.

He rolled his eyes, scanned the entire hall, and finally fixed his gaze on Su Ming, who was occupying a stone table alone, buried amongst piles of old documents.

Steward Sun frowned slightly, sneering inwardly.

Perfect. Time to knock him down a peg and let him understand just how deep the waters of Formation Peak truly are.