I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 6: The Shattered Spirit is Obtained

Zhao Hu released his grip and placed Wu Tong on the ground.

Wu Tong cried out "Ouch!" and rubbed his bottom as he got up. He then scurried behind Fang Shi, poking half his head out with his eyes darting around, but dared not utter a sound.

Zhao Hu glared at him, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Fang Shi lifted his foot and followed, and Wu Tong hesitated for a moment before tiptoeing behind him as well.

The three of them, one in front and two behind, turned into two alleys and arrived at Zhao Hu's residence.

Pushing open the door, you enter a small courtyard, much like Fang Shi's. Several animal hides are piled in the corner, and the stench of blood has not yet dissipated.

Wu Tong was not allowed to go in, so Zhao Hu led Fang Shi through the courtyard and into the cultivation room.

As soon as Fang Shi entered the room, his gaze fell on the spirit-locking array.

The problem was immediately apparent.

At the third vein on the upper left of the array pattern, the spiritual energy was stagnant, condensed and not dissipated, like a clump of silt blocking a riverbed.

The fifth line in the lower right corner, however, is faint and barely perceptible, like a dried-up canal that has stopped flowing.

With one blockade and one interruption, the attack came from both ends, leaving the central array hub exhausted. The spiritual energy went astray and leaked out through the cracks.

This is a classic case of being "blocked at both ends".

It's not a serious illness, but the treatment must be precise. You need to loosen the blockage, repair the blockage, and then adjust the flow. Only by addressing all three aspects simultaneously can you achieve a complete cure.

In the past, he probably wouldn't have been able to see through these intricacies. But ever since he mastered the Spirit Locking Array, it has become as clear and distinct in his eyes as the lines on his palm.

But he didn't rush to say it out loud.

Fang Shi frowned slightly and pondered, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what's the situation with your Spirit-Locking Array? When did it break last time?"

Zhao Hu stood at the entrance of the cultivation room and said, "The last time it broke was half a month ago, and the time before that was a month ago. I tried to fix it myself the first two times, but it got worse and worse. In the end, I went to Fellow Daoist Li's place, and each time it cost three fragments of spiritual energy to fix it properly. This morning, when I got up, I saw that the spiritual energy was leaking again, and I started to have some doubts. I wanted to fix it myself, but I was afraid that if I messed it up, I would have to go back to Fellow Daoist Li's place and get three more fragments, so I asked that monkey to go and ask someone for help. Who knew that Li Daoyuan wasn't home, but I ran into you instead."

Fang Shi nodded and said, "I see. Let me take a closer look."

Having said that, he moved closer to the wall, extended an index finger, and gently traced the array pattern, subtly channeling a trace of magic power into the pattern.

He closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment, then opened them again, tilted his head and studied it for a while, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding, and sometimes touching his chin, looking unfathomable.

Zhao Hu waited for a while, and seeing that he was still dawdling, he said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, hurry up! There's a daily quota of residual energy from Sanpan Mountain. If too much leaks out, I won't have enough for my cultivation today. Are you being so slow because you're not sure you can handle it?"

Fang Shi said, "Don't worry, watch me."

Without further hesitation, he made a hand seal with his right hand, joined three fingers together, and hooked his thumb at the base of his ring finger. A pale blue spiritual light burst forth from his fingertip, as fine as silk, and precisely entered the blockage in the upper left corner of the array pattern.

As soon as the magic entered, the blockage melted away like ice meeting hot water, and the spiritual light returned, shining brightly.

Fang Shi changed his technique again, bringing his index and middle fingers together like a sword and gently touching the broken flow point on the lower right.

With that one finger, spiritual energy gushed forth like a spring, spreading forward along the dried-up lines, gradually reconnecting the broken flow.

After clearing the blockages in both places, he used both hands simultaneously, his ten fingers flying, each forming a hand seal, one on the left and one on the right, and then simultaneously touching the pivot of the array.

The moment the two magical powers converged, a soft "hum" was heard, and the entire Spirit Locking Array shone brightly, its patterns lighting up in unison before returning to normal. The light and shadow flickered in a measured way, and in the blink of an eye, they became one.

From the moment the hand seals were formed to the moment the exercise ended, it took only a few breaths.

Zhao Hu watched from the sidelines, feeling extremely uneasy.

One moment I wonder if Fang Shi will actually fix it, the next I think that even if the price of that broken spirit is ruined, someone will compensate me, so I won't lose money either way.

But then I thought—what if this oath-taking ceremony breaks down and they just pack up and run away?

They say they care about reputation, but some people just have no shame!

If he defaults on his debt and runs away, where will you find him?

Thinking of this, Zhao Hu unconsciously clenched his fist, secretly channeling a trace of magic power into his palm, ready to unleash his power as soon as Fang Shi showed any weakness.

But before he could react, the spirit-locking array lit up.

The spiritual light was even and the patterns were neat. No more spiritual energy escaped from the gaps where the energy had been depleted.

Zhao Hu's eyes widened, and joy appeared in his expression.

Fang Shi finished his incantation, turned around, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, it's done."

Zhao Hu's tense shoulders relaxed, his fists slowly opened, and the magic power in his palms dissipated.

He stepped forward, reached out and touched the array patterns, then closed his eyes and sensed them for a moment. Sure enough, the spiritual energy flowed smoothly and without any leakage, not much different from the time he had Li Daoyuan repair it.

He took out a fragment of spirit from his inner pocket and handed it to Fang Shi, saying, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I underestimated you. Your array technique is no less impressive than Li Daoyuan's."

Fang Shi accepted the broken spirit fragment and put it into his robes, laughing, "Fellow Daoist Zhao is too kind. I only have a smattering of knowledge and was lucky enough to repair it; how could I dare compare to Fellow Daoist Li?"

Zhao Hu laughed and said no more.

The two exchanged some polite words.

Zhao Hu said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, thank you for your help today. If I'm in trouble again in the future, I will definitely come to find you first."

Fang Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, you are too kind. I will come whenever you call."

Having said that, he took his leave.

Zhao Hu saw him to the door, closed it, and turned back into the cultivation room.

He stood in front of the spirit-locking array, bent down, and touched it for a while.

Seeing that the light was even and the patterns were neat, it was indeed well done.

He suddenly slapped his thigh and blurted out, "My broken spirit! If I had known, I would have repaired it myself! If Fang Shi could repair it, I might not have been unable to!"

……

As soon as Fang Shi left the alleyway where Zhao Hu lived, Wu Tong darted out from behind the wall and followed behind.

After walking a short distance, Wu Tong finally couldn't wait any longer. He rushed over in a few strides, grinning, "Brother Fang, I've brought you some business this time, haven't I?"

Fang refused to answer and kept walking forward.

Wu Tong wasn't annoyed. He followed behind and said, "Brother Fang, I can bring you even bigger business in the future! Just you wait and see!"

Fang Shi then said, "Don't do that. That would offend Fellow Daoist Li."

Wu Tong said, "Why wouldn't we make money if it's available? Li Daoyuan isn't the King of Heaven himself; just because he can do it doesn't mean others can't."

Fang Shi said, "You should have understood long ago that you can't earn money that isn't yours."

Upon hearing this, Wu Tong's playful expression faded somewhat. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "I understand. But seeing that Shattered Spirit vanish in vain, it feels like a knife is being ripped from my heart, it hurts so much!"

Fang Shi found his appearance rather amusing.

After a moment's thought, he said, "However, it's true that we can make a small profit."

Wu Tong's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace.

Fang Shi lowered his voice and said, "Listen carefully, monkey. When you're secretly absorbing spiritual energy in those places, keep an eye out. Remember which owners have good tempers and don't easily resort to violence. If any spirit-locking arrays are broken and they're unwilling to spend a lot of money to hire Li Daoyuan, then introduce them to me. For every three people, I can give you half a fragment of spirit energy. But remember—don't cause me any trouble, or I'll hold you accountable."

Upon hearing this, Wu Tong's eyes immediately lit up with a smile, and he patted his chest, saying, "Don't worry, Brother Fang! I may not have many other skills, but I've been good at reading people's expressions and judging their character since I was a child! I'd rather avoid those hot-tempered and unreasonable people than lead them here!"

Fang Shi nodded, touching the broken spirit in his arms as he walked.

Wu Tong followed behind, his smile never fading the whole way.