I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 27 Refining Turbid Qi to Invoke Spirits

It should be Tianxian who was drunk and smashed Baiyun to pieces.

As Fang Shi gazed at the dazzling light falling from the sky, he suppressed the turbid energy surging within him, and a sentence involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The specks of light fluttered and drifted, landing on the ravaged earth. They weren't snow, but they were whiter and cleaner than snow.

"Fellow Daoist Fang?"

Fang Shi snapped out of his daze, turned around, and saw a woman in her thirties standing by the broken wall not far away.

It was Ji Shuhui—the woman who had asked him to repair the spirit-locking array and whom he had later bumped into selling firewood in the dead of winter.

Today she wore a faded blue cloth shirt, her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her complexion was much rosier than when she last saw him, no longer looking sallow and pale.

Fang Shi asked, "Fellow Daoist Ji, have your injuries healed?"

Ji Shuhui walked over and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Fellow Daoist Chengfang. My injuries have healed."

As she spoke, she looked up at the countless specks of light falling from the sky, her gaze somewhat unfocused. "But in this situation... I never imagined that I could see snow outside of the Cold Mist Valley."

Fang Shi did not see the snow.

He stared at Ji Shuhui, looking her up and down several times.

Ji Shuhui felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, touched her face, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Fang, what's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Fang Shi said, "It's nothing. It's just that after looking at the snow for a long time, I suddenly felt that the power of that Foundation Establishment cultivator is truly unfathomable."

He said this aloud, but inwardly he was amazed: Ji Shuhui was clean and tidy, without a trace of pollution.

Ji Shuhui smiled and said, "Yes, they are all experts from the Three Plates Temple. With them around, we rogue cultivators will always have a way to survive."

She glanced once more at the radiant light above the ruins before turning to Fang Shi and saying, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I must go to Songyuan Academy to pick up my daughter. Such a commotion might frighten her. Farewell."

Fang Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Ji, please take care."

Ji Shuhui nodded and turned to walk out of the town.

Fang Shi then turned around and ran quickly towards his own yard.

This action was not abrupt—the street was full of independent cultivators, some running out of town, some running into the ruins, and some standing blankly looking up at the point of light. Everyone had their own destination, and no one would give him a second glance.

He met all sorts of people on the way.

Those rogue cultivators who were lucky enough to escape the corruption of the turbid energy walked lightly, their faces showing the relief of surviving a calamity.

More often than not, they were corrupted by the foul air, their faces were ashen, their eyes were dull, and their steps were heavy as if they were dragging iron chains.

There was a father and son who stood out—the father was about forty years old, with the appearance of being at the third level of Qi Refining, and he was holding an eight or nine-year-old boy in his arms. The boy's face was dark, and his eyes were tightly closed, obviously indicating that he had been deeply affected by turbid Qi.

The father himself was also harmed by the turbid energy, his face was ashen, but he didn't care about himself. He held the child in one arm and put the other hand against the child's back, desperately channeling his magic power into the child's body, trying to force the turbid energy out.

However, his own magical power was already murky and impure, so the effect of pouring it in was negligible.

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and muttered as he channeled his magic power, "It's alright, it's alright, Father's here..."

With each increase in his energy, the turbid energy within his body spreads deeper, his face grows increasingly ashen, and his eyes become increasingly red.

Fang Shi glanced at it only once before looking away and continuing on his way.

He hadn't yet expelled all the turbid energy from his body; if he delayed any longer, he would be in serious trouble.

The collapsed gate was leaning to one side, half of the door panel was broken, and the other half was still hanging on the hinge, creaking in the wind.

Fang Shi turned over the broken bricks and found a relatively flat spot among the ruins.

The last breath he had been holding on for so long finally dissipated—the turbid qi in his meridians surged endlessly, and his magical power flowed sluggishly.

He couldn't wait any longer, so he began the seven steps of summoning the spirit.

If we wait any longer, and the turbid qi seeps into the dantian, even if we exhaust all our reserves, we may not be able to remedy the situation.

Once, twice, three times.

Each time one cleanses the turbidity, stabilizes the essence, vibrates the pulse, guides the spirit, steps on the Big Dipper, chants incantations, and absorbs qi, a small amount of turbid qi is forced out from the Yongquan acupoint.

Strands of black mist escaped from beneath their feet and dissipated into the air.

He walked tirelessly, over and over again.

[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]

[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]

……

[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]

As his proficiency gradually increased, his efficiency in expelling the foul air also became higher and higher.

Initially, it took a whole round to force out a single strand, but later it became one and a half strands, then two strands.

The sticky, turbid energy in the meridians was peeled away layer by layer. The flow of magical power was initially sluggish, but gradually became slower and then gradually returned to a smoother flow.

When Fang Shi walked to the point where he didn't know how many times, the last wisp of turbid air in his body was finally forced out through the Yongquan acupoint.

[Seven Steps to Summon Spirits Proficiency +1]

【Seven Steps to Spirit Invocation (Proficient): 36/200】

He let out a long breath.

The sun was high in the sky, and the Taoist's finger dispelled the dark aura and the clouds. The sunlight during the Awakening of Insects season shone down, bringing a touch of warmth.

Fang Shi was drenched in sweat, yet his meridians felt clearer than ever before.

Just as he was enjoying this rare moment of comfort, a cacophony of voices and the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

A booming voice proclaimed, "Sanpan Temple, acting on the orders of Elder Xuanmu, has come to provide disaster relief! All independent cultivators, heed my command: register all those whose houses have collapsed! Those whose bodies have been invaded by turbid energy, assemble here for unified treatment!"

Sanpanguan claims to follow the righteous path.

What is the right path?

It's not about being discerning and saving people, but about "order".

Murder, arson, robbery, and theft are all forbidden. If anyone breaks the rules, the Taoist priests will hold them accountable.

From Fang Shi's perspective in his previous life, this principle is not difficult to understand.

To put it bluntly, the independent cultivators within the territory of the Three Plates Temple are like cattle and horses in the temple.

Only when oxen and horses plow the fields and pull carts can profits be generated.

Without order, robbers and cultivators run rampant, cattle and horses cannot find their livelihood, either fleeing or dying, and who will offer them food?

The Taoist priests lost their income, and their profits were greatly damaged.

Therefore, maintaining order is not for the sake of benevolence and righteousness, but for the sake of profit.

The same applies to post-disaster reconstruction.

Fang Shi climbed over the collapsed courtyard gate and followed the flow of people to an open space.

He looked up and saw that a long queue had already formed in the open space.

The Taoist priests of Sanpan Temple acted quickly, setting up several large tents in the area.

The leader was a middle-aged Taoist priest at the sixth level of Qi Refining. He had a fair complexion and no beard, wore a clean blue Taoist robe, and held a thick book in his hand. He was methodically directing his Taoist disciples.

A young Taoist priest stood at the front of the line and said loudly, "Don't push, one at a time."

Fang Shi found a spot and joined the line of tents in the middle.

Looking at the thirty-odd people in front, most of their faces were covered with a layer of ashen gray—the traces of impure air entering their bodies.

No one was injured.

Cultivators' bodies are inherently stronger than those of ordinary people. The collapsed houses and falling rocks during an earthquake will at most cause superficial injuries, but will not result in serious bone damage.

However, the entry of turbid qi into the body is different. That stuff is like filth. If it is not removed in time, it will slowly erode the meridians, and one day it will cause one to fall into the state of an ordinary person.

The Three Plates Temple is located in a realm for cultivating immortality, where there is no mortal kingdom.

The woman in front of me was holding a child. After registering, she almost lunged at her.

She knelt before the young Taoist, holding the child above her head, her voice hoarse: "Immortal Master, please look at my child... He's only four years old, and the turbid energy has already entered his dantian, I beg you..."

The child in her arms had a dark complexion, closed eyes, purple lips, and eyelids swollen like two walnuts.

The young Taoist priest behind the table, responsible for registration, was about seventeen or eighteen years old and had a cultivation level of the third level of Qi Refining.

He glanced at the child, frowned, and said, "Go to the tent on the right and line up. When it's your turn, someone will treat you."

The woman said, "But the child—"

The young Taoist interrupted her, saying, "Rules are rules. Register first, then treat. You're number forty-seven in line; they'll call you when it's your turn. Remember to bring enough spirit fragments."

The woman opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something more, when an elderly Taoist priest walked over and pointed expressionlessly toward the tent on the right.

The woman trembled, swallowing back all the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She lowered her head, carrying the child, and staggered toward the tent on the right.

It was Fang's turn to swear an oath.

The young Taoist priest, without even looking up, asked, "Name."

"Fang Shi".

"address."

"The seventh house from east to west in the third alley of Qiyuan Town."

The young Taoist priest flipped through the booklet, found the corresponding page number, circled it on the paper, and asked, "The whole house collapsed?"

"It's all collapsed."

"Is there any air pollution?"

"none."

He ticked a box in the column, took out a cloth bag from under the table, and then took out a piece of paper with a red seal. He handed it over and said, "This is three days' worth of food. Come back in three days with this slip to register, and the temple will make unified arrangements for reconstruction."

Fang Shi accepted the cloth bag and note, thanked him, and turned to leave.

Just as he stepped out of the crowd, he bumped into Zhao Hu.

He strode over, his face clean and his steps steady, showing no sign of any foul air entering his body.

Before Fang Shi could speak, Zhao Hu's voice transmitted to him: "Brother Fang, you really haven't had any turbid energy enter your body!"

Fang Shi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm and continued walking, sending a telepathic reply: "What's going on?"

Zhao Hu changed direction and walked alongside him, transmitting his voice, "Brother Fang, you don't know, I was observing from my doorstep for quite a while. I checked on all those who had asked you to repair their spirit-locking arrays—Old Zhou, Qian Dazhuang, and Old Sun who sells vegetables on West Street—they're all fine! Not a single one of them has been affected by turbid energy!"

Fang Shi was silent for a moment, then said, "Could it be a coincidence?"

Zhao Hu said, "I was also afraid of being caught off guard, so I went to ask a few other people who had their formations repaired. Those who had it repaired by independent cultivators were all fine, but those who had it repaired by the Sanpan Temple were all affected."

Fang Shidao said, "Could it be...?"

Zhao Hu said, "That's right, that's exactly it..."

Fang Shi took a few more steps before transmitting his voice: "In any case, the experts from Sanpan Temple have already taken action, and the post-disaster reconstruction is proceeding in an orderly manner. Let's leave it at that and not mention it again."

Zhao Hu nodded, about to say something, when he suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Old Liu staggering over.

His face was ashen, his lips were purple, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He leaned against the wall with one hand and clutched his chest with the other, stopping to cough every few steps.

Fang swore, "Fellow Daoist Liu."

Old Liu looked up and saw Fang Shi and Zhao Hu, his gaze lingering on their faces for a moment.

Those two faces were clean and clear, without any ash or bruises.

Old Liu's lips trembled, and he suddenly cursed, "Damn Chen Santai..."

He stopped abruptly as soon as he spoke, looking around anxiously. Seeing that there were no disciples of the Three Plates Temple nearby, he breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his head, and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I'll go join the queue."

Fang Shi said, "Take care, Fellow Daoist Liu."

Old Liu didn't turn around, and staggered towards the tent.

Zhao Hu watched his retreating figure, remained silent for a moment, swallowed back the words he hadn't yet uttered, and transmitted his voice, "Brother Fang, I'm going to queue up too. Let's talk later."

Fang Shi nodded, and the two then dispersed outside the crowd.

……

When Fang Shi returned to the ruins of his home, he rolled up his sleeves and began digging.

With his Qi Refining Level 2 cultivation, he was stronger than a mortal strongman. He could lift up a hundred-pound boulder with both hands and drag a broken wooden beam away on his shoulder.

He could have waited for the Sanpan Temple to make unified arrangements for reconstruction, but thinking about what Zhao Hu and Ji Shuhui had just said, he felt more and more that there was a big problem with his family's spirit-locking array.

We can't wait; we must destroy the evidence.

When he was halfway through digging, he saw the black mist.

It seeped out from the cracks in the broken bricks, in wisps and strands, like black smoke, silently drifting upwards.

This time, it didn't pounce like before; it just floated there lazily, like a stagnant pool.

Fang Shi suddenly had a thought and looked at the line of text on the panel: [Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation (Proficient): 36/200].

During his month and a half of secluded training, he did consider using the external environment to stimulate his proficiency in the Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation.

He tried going to the Great Wilderness, but no matter how polluted the spiritual energy of the Great Wilderness was, it was still just a mixture of pure and impure elements of nature, and it did not stimulate his skill level at all.

But the turbid air before us is different.

They gushed forth from the depths of the earth, pure turbid air that had not been neutralized by the pure air—completely opposite to the pure air that was usually purified by the Tianyuan Jiuyue Jingyuan Great Array.

Fang Shi thought to himself: Now that there is no pure energy, cultivation is impossible. Can I use this turbid energy to cultivate the Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation?

Once the thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it anymore.

Please note that the seven steps to spiritual cultivation are related to the speed of cultivation.

The higher the proficiency, the stronger the effect of relieving meridian fatigue.

He is currently at level 2 with 68 points in Qi Refining, 132 points away from breaking through.

After doing the math, if I could advance the Seven Steps of Spirit Invocation a bit further, without considering the cost of Spirit Shattering, I could cultivate with all my might and it would only take ten months of hard work.

But the risks are also high.

After all, he didn't have any foul air entering his body when he was registering.

No, we have to dig out the training room first, no matter what, and see if we can destroy the evidence.

……

Fang Shi worked until sunset, finally digging out the cultivation room completely.

They discovered that he was indeed capable of destroying evidence.

Since we can destroy the evidence, we can proceed with our actions freely.

Just as he was about to begin practicing the Seven Steps of Spirit Summoning, Zhao Hu suddenly came to his door, bringing with him a message.

"Brother Fang, we can't get out of Qiyuan Town!"

"All roads leading outside have been blocked by the people of Sanpan Temple, and all independent cultivators are required to assemble in the open area!"