Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 221: The Path to Heaven Through a Hundred Arts: Restoration

A few low chuckles came from the surroundings.

Zhang Lie sat high on the main viewing platform, his gaze coldly sweeping over this area without a word.

Su Ming put down his brush. "Reporting to the steward, this disciple is not ignorant, but rather dares not confirm." He pointed at the brocade box. "This item's appearance and spiritual pressure are indeed identical to the 'Fusion Fire Gold Crystal' recorded in the classics."

Zhao Yin's face grew even more smug. "Then that means..."

"However," Su Ming interrupted him, his voice clear, "when this disciple was organizing the yearly archives in the Repair Hall, I once saw a record. Three years ago, the Vessel Hall recalled a batch of 'Fire Spirit Jade' due to issues. Its appraisal summary mentioned an extremely sophisticated counterfeiting technique: using Flowing Fire Jade as the skin and Vermilion Flame Stone as the core, supplemented with specific fire seals, can mimic a high-grade fire spirit object. However, if 'Samadhi Gentle Fire' is used to scorch a single point, the skin chars, the core is exposed, and the spiritual energy disperses."

His fingertip, at some unknown moment, was already pinching a lowest-grade "Fire Gathering Talisman." With a slight release of spiritual energy, the talisman ignited without wind, transforming into a small, pale yellow flame with constant temperature but extremely concentrated heat.

"What are you doing?!" Zhao Yin's face changed, and he reached out to stop him.

Su Ming's movements were faster. That small flame was already suspended just over an inch above the "Fusion Fire Gold Crystal," meticulously scorching a specific point with gentle fire.

"A genuine Fusion Fire Gold Crystal has an extremely Yang nature and stable quality. When encountering this gentle fire, it should contain its radiance internally, with golden light naturally arising." Su Ming's tone was steady. "But if it is the fabricated object recorded in that account..."

Before his words finished.

"Sizzle..."

A faint sound, like hot oil dripping into water, was heard.

That crystal-clear, translucent crystal, at the point continuously scorched by the flame, actually emitted a wisp of nearly invisible black smoke. Its originally perfect surface rapidly charred and cracked!

Immediately after, the cracks spread. The outer layer, that radiant, colorful "skin shell," peeled off in pieces, revealing a dull-colored, rough-textured, weakly spiritual dark red stone core inside—precisely the cheapest Vermilion Flame Stone!

Silence.

Deadly silence.

The muscles on Sun Tong's face twitched. Zhao Yin's smug sneer completely froze, transforming into disbelief, shock, and a trace of panic.

The surrounding examinees who were waiting to see a joke were all dumbfounded.

"Fake... it's fake?!"

"My heavens, the material used for the assessment is actually fake?!"

"How dare Su Ming... how did he recognize it?!"

Su Ming gently blew out the flame and cupped his hands toward Zhao Yin and Sun Tong, whose faces had suddenly turned pale. "Stewards, it seems this object is not a 'Fusion Fire Gold Crystal,' but rather resembles that type of 'fire jade skin, vermilion flame core' fabricated object recorded in the archives. I wonder if the test question has a deeper meaning, or..." He paused and did not continue.

But the unspoken words had already plunged Zhao Yin into an icy abyss.

On the main viewing platform, the corner of Zhang Lie's eye twitched violently.

His gaze was like a knife. First, it swept over the pile of charred, peeling waste, then coldly fixed on Zhao Yin, and finally landed on the calm-faced Su Ming. Shock flashed in his eyes, along with a trace of anger forcibly suppressed.

"Second stage, first question. Su Ming. Top Grade A." Zhang Lie's voice was dry and icy, resounding throughout the area.

Immediately, his gaze turned toward the ashen-faced Zhao Yin, enunciating each word. "Zhao Yin, negligence in question selection. Ten days confinement. Six months salary penalty. This question is void. Replace it!"

The material identification incident was like a resounding slap, fiercely striking certain people's faces.

The crowd who originally looked down on Su Ming now looked at him with changed eyes. It was no longer the gaze looking at a lucky kid, but at an unfathomable freak.

"This kid is a bit bizarre."

Zhao Yin stood at the edge of the field, his gaze venomous. "Brother-in-law, in the next stage, 'Repair,' we absolutely cannot let him steal the spotlight again. That 'Nine-Curve Solar Yang Formation'..."

"Shut up." Zhang Lie coldly cut him off. "Is the disgrace not enough yet? The formation is already set. Whether he passes depends on his fortune. If you meddle again and get caught, even I cannot protect you."

Zhao Yin shrank his neck, but a flash of unwilling, ruthless fierceness appeared in his eyes.

...

"Second question. Repair."

As the new instruction was issued, the examinees' desks sank down again. In their place appeared miniature formation plates, each only the size of a millstone, with dim light.

Su Ming looked at the formation plate before him, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible arc.

It was indeed it.

The Nine-Curve Solar Yang Formation.

This formation plate had clearly been meticulously sabotaged.

Seven of the nine main spiritual energy circuits were severed. The core "Solar Yang Fusion Point" was even more of a mess, churned up by a violent, foreign spiritual energy.

According to the conventional solution, the repairer needed extremely high-level fire control skill to meticulously remove the foreign spiritual energy bit by bit, then re-engrave the "Solar Yang Lines" to repair the circuits. This was not only time and energy-consuming but also extremely prone to triggering formation backlash. The slightest misstep could cause an explosion.

Su Ming did not attempt to forcibly reconnect those severed, violent "Solar Yang Lines."

His fingertip, with its dark blue spiritual energy like threads, probed into several abandoned auxiliary nodes at the edge of the formation plate, swiftly sketching a complex set of "Vortex Spirit Lines" imbued with the concept of moist, cyclical flow.

"He actually wants to use water to aid fire?" Sun Tong stared wide-eyed.

They saw Su Ming fit his self-made "Suppress Origin Plate" into one node.

Instantly, the wildly rampaging, violent fire power within the formation plate was guided by a resilient, dark blue spiritual light, diverted to the edges.

Right at the critical moment before the water and fire spiritual energies were about to collide, those "Vortex Spirit Lines" suddenly lit up!

The violent fire spiritual energy rushed into them, not to be annihilated, but to be carried and tamed by that rotating water spiritual force, transforming rigidity into softness, forming swirling currents of spiritual energy interwoven with purple and red, stably occupying the outer perimeter of the formation plate. The pressure at the formation's core drastically reduced. The originally dim core formation lines actually self-repaired somewhat, emitting a harmonious aura of water and fire blending, Yin and Yang mutually supporting each other.

"This is... using water as a guide, transforming fire balefulness into a cycle? He can actually repair and even improve the 'Nine-Curve Solar Yang Formation' to this extent?" Luo Feng had approached at some unknown time, his eyes shining with unusual brilliance as he murmured in awe.

"Merge."

With the final stroke completed, the formation plate emitted a clear chime, its radiance perfect and complete.

The entire area fell silent.

Zhang Lie took a deep breath, his gaze complex as he looked at Su Ming for a long time before slowly announcing:

"Second stage, second question. Su Ming... Top Grade A. His method may be recorded in the 'Path of Formations Unconventional Solutions Compendium' for reference."