Han Yi exhaled a sigh of relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Just considering these eight pill refinement sessions, my success rate for Qi Nourishing Pills is now close to forty percent."
Satisfied, Han Yi stored the three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills in his Storage Pouch, rose from his seat in the Meditation Chamber, and stepped into the backyard.
"In two days, it'll be time for my regular report. I'll sell the Qi Nourishing Pills to Guan Sheng for Spirit Stones, then purchase enough raw materials. After that, I'll repeat the process. I won't have to worry about lacking Spirit Stones for my cultivation anymore."
During these five days, Han Yi had been unable to cultivate due to a lack of Spirit Stones, and his courtyard lacked a Spirit Vein. It was only then that he truly understood the importance of Spirit Veins. This realization fueled his eagerness to return to Little Spirit Void Peak.
Next, he turned his attention to his Proficiency Panel:
[Name: Han Yi ]
[Lifespan: 21/87 ]
[Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer (19/100) ]
[Method: Fire Pill Profound Art (Entry Level 31/100) ]
[Skills:]
[ - Alchemy Technique (Initial Glimpse of the Dao 21/100) ]
[ - Spirit Void Finger (Beginner 29/100) ]
"Not bad," he murmured. "My Alchemy Technique is progressing at a remarkable pace."
Unfortunately, Han Yi's Qi Refining Second Layer remained stubbornly stagnant, and his cultivation progress crawled at a snail's pace. This was a major hurdle in his cultivation journey. He needed to find a way to acquire more Spirit Stones.
"Right, I still have my second skill."
As Han Yi stepped into the backyard, his gaze immediately fell upon the second skill displayed on his Proficiency Panel: Spirit Void Finger.
The Alchemy Technique hadn't disappointed him. But what about the Spirit Void Finger?
With that thought, Han Yi tilted his head slightly and swiftly flicked his right hand forward, his thumb pressing against his index finger. At the apex of the motion—
Pfft!
A soft finger-snap echoed sharply through the air.
Six meters away, on the jujube tree in the courtyard, the nearest ripe red jujube burst open with a crisp pop.
Han Yi shook his head.
"Weak. Pathetically weak."
The current power of the Spirit Void Finger was equivalent to an adult forcefully throwing a pebble the size of a fingernail. It could certainly draw blood from a mortal's head, but against a cultivator—even a Qi Refining First Layer practitioner—it wouldn't so much as scratch their skin.
The Spirit Void Finger was a common spell from Little Spirit Void Peak.
The principle was simple: compress mana within the body into the fingertips using a special channeling technique, then release it with a flick. Upon impact, the compressed mana would explode instantaneously, inflicting damage.
This simplicity hinted at the spell's limited potential. Many low-ranking Outpost Disciples could be seen practicing it, but by the mid-stage of Qi Refining, few continued to use it.
For Han Yi, however, it was currently his only combat-effective skill.
He had no choice.
He simply had to practice.
Pfft, pfft, pfft...
In the backyard, Han Yi began by flicking his fingers one at a time, repeatedly activating Spirit Void Finger.
Growing impatient, he switched to using both hands simultaneously, abandoning the traditional middle finger focus and flicking all ten fingers instead.
Mana surged like a tide, flowing in rapid bursts like a sudden downpour.
As he practiced, his technique became increasingly fluid.
With each strike, he made minute adjustments to his movements, fine-tuning his power output, the amount of mana used, and the compression force.
In less than an hour, nearly half of the bountiful jujube tree's branches had been stripped bare.
The courtyard wall and ground behind the tree were splattered with crimson pulp, filling the air with a cloyingly sweet, fruity aroma.
Han Yi lowered his hand, his breathing slightly ragged. His mana reserves were nearly depleted.
Though he had meticulously controlled each finger strike, expending only the bare minimum of mana, the sheer number of casts had taken its toll. In the short time he had been practicing, he had unleashed the Spirit Void Finger spell at least thirty times.
"Huff... huff..."
Catching his breath, Han Yi glanced at the Proficiency Panel:
[ Spirit Void Finger (Novice 59/100) ]
He stared in disbelief. The proficiency had surged from 29/100 to a staggering 59/100! He almost convinced himself he was seeing things.
Closing his eyes, he opened them again.
Still 59/100.
Overwhelmed with joy, he murmured, "It's as if every finger strike contributes to the proficiency!"
"This spell's progress is astonishingly fast!"
"Indeed, the 'Work Manual'—or rather, the Proficiency Panel—is far from ordinary."
When Han Yi first discovered the Proficiency Panel, he had tried communicating with it and deciphering its cryptic messages, hoping to uncover its secrets. His efforts had proven fruitless, and he had once assumed it was merely a data display tracking his lifespan, cultivation methods, skills, and other attributes.
But the breakthrough in his Alchemy Technique, followed by this sudden surge in Spirit Void Finger proficiency, had revealed a fundamental truth:
This golden finger was more than just a record-keeping tool.
Moreover, the system possessed a function that forcibly accelerated his skill progression beyond normal rates with each practice session.
In short:
In this world, an ordinary cultivator might practice the Spirit Void Finger a hundred times without making any discernible progress.
But Han Yi was different. Every flick of his finger forcibly advanced the skill's progress bar.
Each flick brought tangible gains and fresh insights.
No wonder, as he continued flicking his finger, his movements grew increasingly fluid, as if new revelations were constantly emerging with each strike.
This was the Panel's bug.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Han Yi muttered to himself, "If the Alchemy Technique and the Spirit Void Finger progress so rapidly, then all my skills can improve quickly too!
Does this mean...
That all the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation and various spells are merely a matter of time for me? They're all within my reach?
The Immortal Path is attainable! The Immortal Path is attainable!"
A broad grin stretched across Han Yi's face, unable to contain his elation.
But as his gaze shifted upward to his stubbornly stagnant Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation realm, his expression faltered slightly.
[Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer (19/100)]
"After transmigrating for so long and cultivating so diligently, I've barely managed to advance a few points—and that was only when practicing with Spirit Sand and Spirit Stones at Little Spirit Void Peak!"
Upon arriving at Mengshan City, Han Yi found himself without any Spirit Stones or Spirit Sand. Relying solely on absorbing Spirit Qi from the air proved utterly inadequate, barely increasing his progress by even a single point.
It seemed clear that his Cultivation Realm couldn't be improved through the Proficiency Panel alone.
"For now, I need to focus on enhancing my skills and earning Spirit Stones to push my Cultivation Realm forward," he concluded. "If my cultivation isn't sufficient, Spirit Stones will have to compensate."
After strategizing his next steps on the Immortal Path, Han Yi returned to his Meditation Chamber, sat cross-legged, and began replenishing his Mana. This time, it took over a full day to recover completely.
Next, he practiced the Spirit Void Finger technique in the backyard. Having exhausted his supply of jujubes, he aimed at the leaves on the jujube tree instead.
Having a clear target helped him concentrate more effectively.
Flick, flick, flick...
Fifteen minutes later, the jujube tree's foliage was drastically reduced, its branches now mostly bare.
Han Yi checked his Spirit Void Finger progress—it had risen from 59/100 to 70/100. Pleased with the result, he calculated the time and returned to the Meditation Chamber.
A day later, after replenishing his Mana once more, Han Yi refrained from further Spirit Void Finger practice, as the seven-day deadline had arrived.
Grabbing three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills and activating the courtyard's protective formation, he strode toward the Profound Fire Pill Shop.
Upon reaching the shop, he encountered the other two Outpost Disciples for the first time: Xia Qingyi and Xiao Yi. Unlike Han Yi, these two were five or six years older and had been stationed at the outpost for several years.
The two senior disciples showed no interest in befriending Han Yi, the newcomer. They merely exchanged perfunctory hand gestures and formal greetings, addressing each other as "Senior Brother" and "Junior Brother," before falling silent.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Guan Sheng smiled faintly. "First, let's settle the tasks from last quarter. Junior Brother Xia and Junior Brother Xiao, how did your Medicinal Pill refinement go?"