Book Pavilion. Section B. Morning.

Retrieving his identity token, Bubai entered the room.

His eyes lit up with fervor as he took in the shelves populated with jade slips. These were all filled with knowledge pertaining to each of the basic professions and they were all available for reading!

Alas, time was limited and he could only choose one.

“One hour.”

An extremely short amount of time compared to the length of time he invested in deliberating over his choice.

Why did Bubai take so long to decide on his secondary profession when he swiftly determined his primary cultivation method?

Aside from needing time to familiarize himself with his new Foundation Establishment method, didn’t it all just come down to one word? Poor.

Indeed, his cultivation was of great importance, but his golden finger could supplement it, even in the absence of resources.

On the other hand, his golden finger couldn't magically provide him with the materials needed to master a cultivator profession.

Therefore, investing in a new profession will undoubtedly become a bottomless pit for his funds during its initial stages.

The expenses associated with acquiring the necessary materials for practicing a new occupation were far from trivial, and given his current wealth, he couldn't even afford to make numerous mistakes while learning a single profession, let alone attempting to master two.

Continuing along this train of thought, it was clear he wouldn't have the luxury of relearning a second profession if he failed on the first one or discovered later that his chosen occupation lacked value and struggled to enter the market.

At that point, he’ll be hard stuck, becoming dependent on charity from WeiWei.

This would limit his growth, and if he couldn’t keep up with her… Manager Qin was the perfect example.

So, a healthy growth was his aim, and this new job could be the best route to achieve independence.

Hence, the thorough consideration was necessary.

Now, he just hopes his decision wouldn’t prove to be the wrong choice. He had invested way too much time for this, and he certainly didn’t want a “bad ending” in this gal game...

“No time to waste.” Bubai hastened toward the precise aisle Granny Shu had directed him to. Within moments, he located the jade slips recommended by the venerable granny.

“Basics of Qi-Gathering Arrays. Engraving Symbols on Formation Plates...”

Yes, this was Bubai’s choice – the path of arrays.

He was a bit skeptical if this was the optimal choice for his current situation, but Bubai still resolutely embraced this path after careful consideration.

In fact, talisman-making or pill-refining might have offered a more economical start, but Bubai recognized the inevitable challenge of breaking into those markets without an established reputation.

Most cultivators hesitated to trust products from inexperienced newbies, especially consumables.

On the other hand, opting for arrays might have incurred a higher initial cost, but once he mastered the basics, an extensive source of tasks will be available to him within the sect.

Plus, it wasn't merely about securing a secondary source of contribution points…

Rather, Bubai believed his destiny was intertwined with the path of formations.

Bubai had never forgotten the Qi-gathering formation in his mysterious space. He had long wanted to comprehend its inner workings to achieve better control over it.

Through his knowledge supplementation and in-person research, he had heard rumors of legendary formation masters engraving formations directly into the world's space without the need for a physical medium!

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

At that moment, Bubai understood that embarking on this route was essential to comprehending his golden finger better.

This journey wasn't just about achieving complete control. It was about alleviating his current fears and wariness, reducing his constraints when using it for future cultivation.

Naturally, full mastery lay in the distant future.

For now, Bubai aimed to grasp the basics of how Qi-gathering arrays operated and perhaps create his own.

Then, this array could perhaps serve as a plausible excuse for any disruptions caused by his mysterious Qi-gathering formation.

Of course, he didn’t solely bank his decision on this wishful outcome. The basis of his decision hinged on more logical factors...

“Once I become a formation master, it could add weight to my value within the sect. Maybe, I can even get the resources that my status originally deserves!”

Hesitating no further, Bubai drew a strand of Qi and directed it into the jade slip.

When he activated it, a rush of memories flooded his consciousness, presenting a voluminous, floating text complemented with corresponding runes.

“Arrays, also known as Tiandi formations – harness the power of heaven and earth, let the world dance at your fingertips! Master the runes, master the world…”

Skimming past the superfluous exposition, Bubai swiftly focused on committing the valuable content and symbols to memory...

After a short duration, the vivid vision in his mind soon began to fade away, only leaving some fragments in his memories...

“Again.” Unfazed, Bubai initiated the process once more, consuming another strand of Qi to reinstate the vision, meticulously imprinting the memories in his mind.

Among Qi-refiners, this was the commonplace method to read jade slips.

The memory stuffed into their mind was just a fleeting glimpse of the content and the cultivator still needs to commit the content to memory independently. This was a rather inconvenient method, and it didn’t do justice to the true value of jade slips.

Only when a cultivator broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm would they truly unlock and maximize the value of jade slips, allowing them to thoroughly peruse the contents as intended.

Luckily, his memory was exceptional, especially when coupled with his buff from consuming his green wisps of Qi.

So, this inconvenience didn’t hinder his progress much. With ease, he was able to seamlessly pick up where he left off, etching the acquired knowledge into his mind.

The sole challenge lay in the complex symbols, demanding precise recollection of every curve and nuanced detail…

“Young Bubai, an hour is up.”

Granny Shu's counsel echoed in Bubai's mind, prompting him to suspend his studies.

“One hour passed so quickly...”

Wearing a wry smile, he carefully returned the jade slip detailing the art of engraving symbols on formation plates to its designated spot on the shelf.

Due to the constraints on his time, he failed to memorize the slips word for word.

Nevertheless, grasping the fundamental essence from the lengthy text sufficed, enough for him to grope his way forward through practice.

The true gems lay in the runes found in the slips.

Bubai surveyed the rest of the jade slips with greedy eyes. Regrettably, the remaining valuable content can only be left unexplored for now.

Exiting the room and making his way back to the main hall, Bubai extended a courteous salute towards Granny Shu. “Disciple Bubai thanks Shu Po Po for her leniency.”

“Hum.” The elderly woman responded with a flat expression. “This old lady only hopes you don’t lose yourself in learning formations and forget about this old lady.”

“Disciple Bubai naturally will not forget his duties and will come every day.”

“Fufu. It’s good that Young Bubai understands.” With a wrinkled smile, Granny Shu relaxed in her rocking chair. “There are still a lot of interesting old scriptures that require copying. And, this old lady can recommend you a good place to purchase your supplies when you are ready.”

Bubai absorbed her words and immediately thanked her, “Disciple Bubai is grateful for Shu Po Po’s care.”

“Hum. This old lady will be waiting.” Granny Shu nonchalantly waved her hand, shooing him away as she closed her eyes.

Bubai bid farewell with a slight bow, “Then, Disciple Bubai will now retreat to enlighten himself.”

When Bubai stepped out of the Book Pavilion, his serious demeanor transformed into one with a sunny smile that seemed to distort his rather unsightly features.

He was now armed with the method to practice his sub-profession, and the old lady had also dangled a tempting carrot before him. It appeared that good fortune had chosen to smile upon him all at once.

East District. Tower.

As the door to his tower rumbled shut behind him, the entrance to the storage room slid open. Xiao Lan emerged, holding her sword with an expressionless face. Her tense posture relaxed upon seeing Bubai, “Early today?”

Bubai nodded, “Acquired the formation methods.”

Responding with a silent nod, Xiao Lan turned back into the storage room, evidently prepared to resume her cultivation.

Despite lacking the necessary spirit stones to power the cultivation chamber, the tower itself served as a focal point for the surrounding Qi to gather, resulting in a higher concentration of Qi within.

While Bubai was away, not absorbing the Qi with his mysterious formation, Xiao Lan clearly took full advantage of the time to replenish her own cultivation.

Descending the staircase, Wei Yi greeted Bubai with a smile, offering a slight bow. “Welcome back, master.”

“What is my little Wei Yi up to today?” Approaching her with a grin, Bubai looped his arm around her waist, guiding her upstairs.

Here, he found Wei Er already waiting, clearly ready to serve his academic purposes.

Beside him, Wei Yi sensually slid her stringy skirt down her slim legs. “Master, let us be your dedicated study companions.”

Bubai’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched the twins arrange themselves in a custom formation.

Indeed, with double the assistance, he should be able to study twice as efficiently! Ahem.

So, as the twins began to sort out things below, Bubai began to sort through the jumbled information he had crammed into his mind earlier.

Before long, he couldn’t help but release a sigh, “As I suspected, how could the formation profession be simple...”