With a cozy ambiance surrounding him, Bubai’s eyes, emitting a subtle green glow, focused intently on tracing his finger that was crawling along the formation chip in his hand.

At first glance, it seemed like nothing was happening, but...

Unseen to the mortal eyes, Bubai was reigning in his Qi, doing his best to ensure it didn't bleed excessively into the Weeping Willow wood when he infused the formation chip with his energy.

Steady. Restraint. Let the Qi bend to his will, shaping his future...

When Bubai felt his active mental faculties starting to wane, a droplet of green dew materialized in his dantian, refreshing his state, allowing him to concentrate on the arduous task.

Eventually, the faint golden shimmer of the rune was reflected in his eyes, a telltale sign of his success in imprinting another symbol. Unfortunately...

“Fufufu…” A melodic laugh, like the tinkling of bells, came from his mentor now seated beside him, “It seems a tad lopsided again.”

With a sigh, Bubai ruefully set down the ruined formation chip, his gaze shifting to the open book held in Shu Ling’s hand, “Taking away the brush, it’s a lot harder than expected.”

"Of course it is.” Shu Ling smiled knowingly, her fingers tracing the text of the book in her hand.

“Fairy brother, you relied too heavily on the brush before. Now, some of the developed habits are hard to break and they are interfering with your pace. Remember you need to develop a new rhythm for the manual technique that matches your level of Qi manipulation."

Indeed, many of the little details he had took for granted beforehand became unexpected hindrances to his current progress, particularly his mastery of Qi control.

Thanks to being in the Foundation Establishment realm and in part to countless dedicated hours of practice with the guidance of the fairy, Bubai’s control over his Qi was exemplary.

However, his training was geared towards the manipulation of large quantities of Qi rather than the delicate precision required for this task.

Unlike his application of Qi in other aspects, imprinting a rune did not demand controlling lots of Qi at once, but rather an exquisite finesse in manipulation over each individual strand.

Besides maintaining a balanced stream of Qi, each strand of Qi also had to be shaped and compressed, with the utmost care taken to prevent even the slightest leakage during the imprinting process.

Failure to maintain this strict control could result in the Qi bleeding outward into the material, causing the resulting rune to be crooked or lopsided, or worse, becoming embedded within the material itself, distorting the rune circuit irreparably!

Needless to say, if the input and output points of a rune were submerged beneath the surface, it wasn’t a dead end.

It’s just that the adjacent symbols would inevitably have to follow suit in a crooked manner, adding an additional layer of complication to the process, to the extent that beginners in the field of formations might as well deem it as a failure.

After all, imprinting symbols beneath the surface layer was a technique reserved for those well beyond the apprenticeship stage.

It belonged to an advanced realm of expertise mentioned in the basic rune masking manual, said to allow formation circuits to be hidden within the interior layers of materials, even arranging them to flow seamlessly along and beneath the surface or even with formations inlaid atop one another!

Alas, mastery of this advance technique demanded not only exemplary technical skills but also extensive experience and a fundamental proficiency in the freehand imprinting method.

Naturally, Bubai couldn't run when he hasn’t even learned to walk.

Thus, his immediate focus remained on mastering the basics of freehand imprinting, ensuring that the Qi was kept on the surface layer, just like what his brush did for him before – providing a constant stream of Qi.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Yet, it wasn’t until Bubai took a dip into the water that he understood… this seemingly straightforward “constant” was anything but simple!

Taking the brush out of the picture... it was like trying to dual cultivate without his little brother’s assistance.

Well, Bubai still had his little brother. So, Bubai didn’t understand exactly how that would be like.

But he still believes it was an apt description of his situation – fraught with difficulty, probably harder than the life of eunuchs.

At this juncture, even his highly efficient cheating golden finger couldn't help him crawl much faster.

As if attuned to Bubai's inner turmoil, Shu Ling smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with wisdom.

"Fairy brother, there are no shortcuts to mastery, but don't worry too much. It's all a matter of experience. You’ll find your rhythm soon enough."

Bubai shook his head, "Fairy, there’s no need to console me. I know I still have a long way to go.”

“Fufufu…” Shu Ling’s laughter carrying a warmth that brightened his mood. "Fairy brother, don’t be so glum. Look on the bright side.”

“Once you master this skill, many of the limitations imposed by the brush will be broken. This will benefit you in the long-run. There’s no need to be impatient. You're already making remarkable progress in such a short time.”

Indeed. This was the grind for the future. Thus, there was no need to rush this, unlike his other plans.

Humbling himself, Bubai graciously acknowledged the guidance. "It's all thanks to fairy’s invaluable advice. Without fairy’s guidance, I would undoubtedly be struggling much more."

He wasn’t lying. Her one-on-one teaching session certainly let him find the correct way sooner and avoid wasting a lot of formation chips.

Accepting his gratitude, a glimmer of pride and a beautiful smile lighted up Shu Ling’s features. "Hum. Hum. It's good that fairy brother recognizes the importance of guidance…”

“But, fairy brother, don't underestimate your own abilities. Others would struggle to even shape Qi into runes without the aid of a brush. Fairy brother’s talent could be considered top-notch! But…"

Shu Ling brought a finger to her lips, a thoughtful expression shadowing her delicate features. "Hum, this fairy couldn't help but notice... fairy brother’s talent really seems to like going on vacations, doesn’t it?”

Uh… A subtle twinge of discomfort flickered in Bubai's heart, knowing exactly what she was pointing out.

Honestly, it wasn’t surprising she noticed. It was too difficult to conceal the moments, when he switched on and off his cheat mode, from the perceptive fairy with “pseudo divine sense”.

Moreover, his green dew wasn’t exactly undetectable under Qi sensing techniques.

Even when he attempted to restrain his Qi, other cultivators like Xiao Lan were still able to discern some anomalies.

This was one of the reasons why he hesitated to depend too heavily on his machine mind mode during the upcoming tournament.

Of course, whether it be WeiWei, Xiao Lan, or Shu Ling, Bubai still wasn’t willing to broach this topic that delved too deeply into his own secrets.

So, Bubai could only jest, "Indeed, nothing escapes the perceptive and beautiful fairy's golden eyes."

Rolling her eyes in mock exasperation, Shu Ling pouted, but chose not to press further, understanding the unspoken reasons behind his hesitance.

Knowing his choice may have added a chink to their relationship, Bubai immediately wanted to remedy it.

Bubai checked the hourglass and time chart tucked away in his storage space before addressing the fairy with a gentle smile, "Fairy, would you care to join me for a walk?"

"Is there even a need to ask?" Shu Ling's response was immediate, a radiant smile blossoming on her face.

She snapped her book shut, causing it to dissipate into shimmering wisps of starlight. “Fuu~ Fairy brother has kept this fairy waiting for so, so long.”

Packing up his formation supplies, Bubai apologized, “Sorry, I hope I didn’t bore fairy while you waited?”

In the midst of stowing away the chess set into her satchel, Shu Ling shook her head, peeking over at him. "Not at all. This fairy is always happy to have fairy brother’s company."

Her words drew his eyes toward her, and their eyes intersected.

Smiling, Bubai picked up the rolled-up map scroll, holding it in one hand while offering his other elbow to the fairy, “Miss Ling’er, may I?”

Shu Ling returned his smile and gracefully linked her arm with his, “Take this fairy away, fairy brother.”

Front Desk.

Rocking in her chair, Granny Shu cracked open her eyes just in time to witness Bubai stepping off the stairs with Shu Ling clasping onto his arm.

A gentle smile creased her weathered face, her gaze twinkling as she watched the duo come before her desk.

Bubai gingerly placed the map scroll onto the desk before withdrawing the set of writing supplies from his pouch. "Shu Po Po, please inspect.”

Granny Shu cast a brief glance over the map before nodding in approval. "Not bad.”

With a wave of her hand, the writing supplies and the scroll levitated from the desk, seamlessly floating over and slipping into the satchel hanging on her rocking chair.

Her beady eyes then ping-ponged between the two, a knowing smile playing at the corner of her lips, "Fufu, it seems you two have plans..."

Glancing at Shu Ling, Granny Shu admonished in an affectionate tone, "Hum, Ling’er, don't stay out too late."

Shu Ling's lips puckered slightly in a playful pout, but she complied with a soft, "Yes, granny."

Granny Shu nodded in satisfaction, closing her eyes and resuming her gentle rocking while leaving a maternal reminder, "Young Bubai, be gentle with my granddaughter."

Bubai gave the old lady a bow used to respect elders, "Yes, Shu Po Po."

“Fufu…” The granny waved them away with her wrinkled hand.

So, Bubai turned to depart with the beauty at his side.

Once the grand double doors sealed shut behind the young couple, the lonely, old lady allowed her beady eyes to crack open once more.

Staring at the door, an aged murmur leaked from her lips, "Spring is here early. Hopefully, she will blossom before the flower wilts."