Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 183: The Inquiry Stone

Su Ming raised his head, looking calmly at this uninvited guest and cupped his hands in greeting. "Disciple Su Ming greets Senior Brother."

"I observe your formations—they are rigid and mechanical, utterly devoid of the soul of the Path of Formations!" Luo Feng got straight to the point, pointing without any courtesy at a newly repaired formation plate on the shelf, his eyes filled with disdain. "They are nothing but cold, pieced-together objects! Do you dare compete with me in a contest of true formation techniques?"

Inside the Xuantian ring, Lin Yu's soul consciousness instantly sat bolt upright. "Well, well, a challenger has come to our door! Disciple, steady yourself, follow the script we rehearsed! Remember, we are civil servants, not jianghu wanderers!"

Hearing this, Su Ming's face revealed a perfectly measured expression of difficulty and apology. "Senior Brother Luo jests. The Repair Hall's official duties are heavy. Every day, formation vessels sent from various peaks urgently await repair. I truly have no time for contests. Moreover, the responsibility of this hall lies in 'repair,' not 'creation.' It is fundamentally different from the Path of Formations that Senior Brother meticulously studies."

His words both elevated the other party and clearly drew a boundary, causing Luo Feng's punch to land on cotton.

Luo Feng clearly hadn't anticipated this kind of response. He was stunned for a moment, then snorted coldly. "Clever words and an ingratiating manner! If you don't dare, you simply don't dare!"

Su Ming merely smiled faintly, said nothing more, turned around, and continued checking data with Old Wang, effectively leaving Luo Feng standing to the side.

This silent dismissal was more aggravating to Luo Feng than any rebuttal could have been. A wave of stifled anger rose in his chest. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, but in the end, he could only flick his sleeve and leave.

However, the next day, he came again.

The third day, the fourth day... He was like a stubborn child, appearing punctually in Bing Character Seven Courtyard every afternoon. He didn't speak, just stood there with his arms crossed, watching everything on the assembly line with a scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, on the fifth day, he couldn't hold back any longer.

That day, he brought a formation plate he had personally refined.

The formation plate was crafted entirely from "Star Pattern Secret Silver." Runes flowed across its surface, and spiritual light was contained within. It was like a perfect work of art, exuding a lively charm with every breath.

"Su Ming!" He slammed the formation plate heavily onto the stone table with a dull *thud*. "You spend your days here, surrounded by this scrap metal and broken iron. Do you know what 'formation sense' is? What 'spiritual nature' is?"

Pointing at his own formation plate, his eyes shone with a fanatical light. "Formations are bridges to communicate with heaven and earth! Every rune should have its own life! Look at my 'Flowing Cloud Formation.' Its core 'Wind' character rune was something I attained through sudden enlightenment after observing the sea of clouds for three months! Its momentum is lively and graceful, ever-changing! *This* is the Path of Formations!"

Everyone in the courtyard was drawn to that exquisite formation plate. Even Old Wang couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.

Chief Engineer Su Ming, however, didn't even lift an eyelid. Under Lin Yu's "remote guidance," he took a completely ordinary "Illumination Formation Plate" produced by the Repair Hall from a shelf and placed it next to Luo Feng's artwork.

Then, he took out a new bamboo scroll.

"Senior Brother Luo," his voice was as calm as if he were reading a dull report. "Your 'Flowing Cloud Formation' is beautiful, indeed. But this disciple ventures to ask, I would like to discuss a few questions with Senior Brother."

Pointing at Luo Feng's formation plate, he posed the first question. "This formation plate requires half a standard spirit stone to activate once. Its core function is 'acceleration.' However, observing the flow of its spiritual light, at least thirty percent of its spiritual energy is dissipated on useless light and shadow changes and cloud mist special effects. May I ask, what is this formation's 'spiritual energy utilization efficiency'?"

The smug expression on Luo Feng's face instantly froze.

Spiritual energy... utilization efficiency? What was this thing?

Su Ming didn't wait for his answer. Pointing at the expensive "Star Pattern Secret Silver" material, he posed the second question. "What is the value of this material? If the formation plate's core is damaged, what level of cultivation would a formation master need to repair it? How many days would it take? What is the material cost? Calculated comprehensively, what is this formation plate's 'full lifecycle maintenance cost'?"

Full lifecycle... maintenance cost? Luo Feng's mind was already starting to buzz.

Finally, Su Ming picked up the ugly "Illumination Formation Plate" in his hand, his tone still flat. "My formation plate has a simple structure and no aesthetic beauty whatsoever. But its spiritual energy utilization efficiency is ninety-nine percent. Its repair can be completed within the time it takes an incense stick to burn by any menial post disciple who has thoroughly read the *Repair Manual*. The cost? Repairing five of them costs about one spirit stone."

He paused, then delivered the final sentence, which landed like a heavy hammer squarely on Luo Feng's pride.

"Most importantly, my Repair Hall can repair one hundred of these formation plates in a single day. May I ask, Senior Brother Luo, how many pieces of your artwork can you produce in a month? In a large-scale sect war requiring mass equipment, which do you think is more important—'the replicability brought by standardization'?"

"You..."

Luo Feng was struck dizzy by this series of "principles" he had never heard before, yet couldn't refute. His face flushed red, then turned pale, then turned green.

He looked at Su Ming, then looked at his own "artwork" that he was so proud of. Suddenly, he felt the flowing spiritual light was somewhat glaring.

He felt that the faith in the Path of Formations he had held for over a decade had been torn open by a brutal, cold logic at this moment.

After a long time, he suddenly slammed the table, grabbed his formation plate, his handsome face flushed with angry embarrassment.

"Heretical nonsense!"

"This is not formation technique!"

He almost roared these words, then turned around in disarray and fled from Bing Character Seven Courtyard.

......

For several days after that, Luo Feng became a regular visitor to the Repair Hall.

He just no longer issued challenges. Instead, every day, he would find an unobtrusive corner, cross his arms, keep a cold face, and watch for most of the day.

He didn't say it out loud, but those eyes, brighter than stars, were secretly imprinting every single process of the Repair Hall into his mind.

This strange peace was broken on yet another afternoon.

"Su Ming! Su Ming! We're here again!"

Accompanied by two crisp, lively voices, Qingfeng and Mingyue scampered into the courtyard.

Today, they were carrying a food box containing freshly baked "Hundred Flower Cakes" from Pill Cauldron Peak, said to clear the mind and brighten the eyes.

The moment they entered the courtyard, their gazes simultaneously landed on Luo Feng in the corner.

"Eh? Senior Brother Luo Feng, you really are here again!" Mingyue blinked her big eyes, her tone familiar and carrying a touch of innocent charm. "Qingfeng and I made a bet, saying you'd definitely come to 'debate the Dao' with Su Ming again. Looks like I won!"

Qingfeng, meanwhile, crossed his arms and nodded like a little adult, saying to Su Ming, "Su Ming, Senior Brother Luo Feng is the person with the highest talent in the Path of Formations among the younger generation of our Cloud Hidden Sect! When he entered the sect back then, he made the 'Dao Inquiry Stone' at the mountain gate light up nine times in a row!"