Hearing Elder Ma’s words, Lin Yu almost couldn’t hold back and nearly cheered out loud!

“Brilliant! This is exactly what I wanted! That old man is a real lifesaver!”

“That Formation Peak place is crawling with Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, it’s like a minefield! If we go there to clock in and work every day, sooner or later some old monster will see through our act! It’s perfect that we’re not going! Let’s go back to the External Affairs Hall and continue lying low!”

Lin Yu’s soul consciousness was dancing with joy inside the ring, but the thoughts he transmitted to Su Ming were steady and composed.

“Indeed, Elder Ma’s consideration is thorough. Laying low and avoiding the limelight for now is indeed the best strategy.”

Su Ming suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his face showing just the right amount of obedience and apprehension.

“This disciple… obeys.”

Seeing him like this, a trace of imperceptible approval flashed in Elder Ma’s turbid eyes.

Unmoved by favor or disgrace, knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

He was a promising seedling.

“However, the sect’s operation cannot be separated from the maintenance of formation vessels.”

Elder Ma’s words took a turn, making Su Ming, who had just let out a sigh of relief, tense up again.

“Those geniuses at Formation Peak have their eyes set too high;
they disdain handling those low-level chores. Ordinary menial post holders are mostly dull-witted and incompetent. Over time, the wear and tear and scrapping of the sect’s low-level formation vessels have become a chronic problem.”

He looked at Su Ming, his gaze burning.

“This old man wishes to establish a ‘Formation Lines Repair Hall’ under the External Affairs Hall.”

“It will be dedicated to the maintenance, optimization, and archiving of low-level formation vessels across all peaks of the sect.”

“You, are you willing to take the lead?”

Silence.

So silent he could hear his own heartbeat.

Su Ming’s mind raced at lightning speed.

Take the lead?

This was no longer a simple task;
this was… authorization!

“This disciple… this disciple’s foundation is completely ruined, my cultivation is low and weak, I fear I am unworthy of such a great responsibility.” Su Ming immediately bowed, lowering his posture to the extreme.

“This old man doesn’t want your cultivation.”

Elder Ma’s voice carried a trace of indisputable authority.

“What this old man wants is your meticulousness that can dig out a life-saving straw from a pile of old papers!”

“Your methodical approach that can organize a mess of bad accounts into perfect order!”

“And most importantly, your solid skill that can achieve ‘zero failures’ in repairs!”

Seeing Su Ming still lost in thought, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, a flicker of amusement passed through Elder Ma’s turbid eyes. He threw out a bait that no menial post holder could refuse.

“If you can get this hall running, establish its regulations, and train a few capable hands.”

“And reduce the repair report rate for the sect’s low-level formation vessels by thirty percent.”

“This old man will make an exception…”

He paused, each word landing on the lake of Su Ming’s heart like a massive boulder.

“And recommend you to become an outer sect disciple!”

Boom!

Su Ming’s mind went completely blank.

Outer sect disciple!

These four words represented the identity he had dreamed of since entering the Cloud Hidden Sect!

It wasn’t just a change in status;
it was a leap from being an “object” to becoming a “person”!

He abruptly raised his head, his eyes for the first time revealing an uncontrollable desire.

Seeing him like this, Elder Ma nodded with satisfaction.

Having desires made him easier to drive.

“You have three days to consider this matter.”

“In three days, give this old man your answer.”

After saying this, he closed his eyes and spoke no more, as if once again transforming into a withered statue.

Su Ming took a deep breath, suppressing all the raging waves in his heart.

He bowed deeply to Elder Ma, then turned and exited the meditation room.

…

Walking on the road back to Courtyard Ding-Qi, Su Ming’s footsteps felt somewhat unsteady.

The moonlight stretched his shadow very long.

“Master, Elder Ma’s move is both an opportunity and an even greater test.”

His heart had completely calmed down.

“This ‘Formation Lines Repair Hall,’ while seemingly independent from Formation Peak and under the jurisdiction of the External Affairs Hall, is actually like a probe meant to extend into the logistical systems of each peak.”

“Maintaining formation vessels will inevitably involve contact with each peak’s material lists, loss data, and personnel assignments. The interests involved in this are probably a hundred times more complex than a single Steward Sun.”

Lin Yu’s soul consciousness also shed its previous frivolity, becoming serious.

“Correct. That old man is building a stage for you, but he’s also putting you on the grill.”

“He wants to use your mathematical abilities to clean up the chronic problems and accumulated abuses at the sect’s lower levels. If you handle this well, you’ll become a sharp blade in his hand, and your name will be on the merit list.”

“But if you mess it up, or offend the wrong people in the process, you’ll be the first scapegoat thrown out.”

Su Ming nodded, his eyes flickering with thoughtful light.

“But the identity of ‘outer sect disciple,’ we must obtain it.”

“Exactly!” Lin Yu said resolutely, “Only by becoming an outer sect disciple will you truly have a ‘protective talisman.’ Your teacher also needs more stable resources to restore his soul power. This opportunity must be seized!”

“But how do we break the deadlock?” Su Ming frowned, “With my strength alone, how can I move these deeply entrenched and intertwined interests?”

“Who said you have to do it alone?”

Lin Yu chuckled, his tone once again carrying that familiar, modern office worker’s cunning.

“Disciple, have you forgotten our ‘old trade’?”

Su Ming was stunned, “Old trade?”

“Yes! Management! Processes! Standardization!”

Lin Yu’s soul consciousness excitedly waved its arms.

“We’re not playing their game of formation talent! We’re not talking about their mysterious, inscrutable bullshit insights! We’re playing science with them!”

“Treat formation maintenance as… hmm, treat it as an assembly line operation!”

“What we need to do isn’t cultivate a few formation geniuses—that’s Formation Peak’s job. What we need to do is build a reliable ‘maintenance team’!”

Lin Yu grew more and more excited as he spoke, terms popping out of his mouth one after another.

“Step one, formulate the ‘Standard Operating Procedures’! Break down the repair of every type of low-level formation into a dozen, or even dozens of steps! What to check in step one, what tools to use in step two, what materials to replace in step three, write it all down clearly! Let a complete newbie idiot follow it and still complete seventy or eighty percent of the job!”

“Step two, compile the ‘Common Fault Atlas’! Take pictures, draw diagrams, make an illustrated manual of all the faults that have ever appeared! Annotate them with the cause of the fault, the solution, and the required materials! In the future, anyone encountering a similar problem can just flip through the atlas and follow the map!”

“Ahem, step three, issue the ‘Material Compatibility Taboo Manual’! List what materials fail when combined, which runes conflict with which formation bases, list it all! Avoid another ‘Hyacinth Crystal’ type of disaster!”

Su Ming listened, dumbfounded.

These unheard-of terms, these unimaginable ideas, struck him like a bolt of lightning, shattering his inherent understanding.

So… formations, they could be “repaired” like this?

“Master, this method… is it feasible?”

“Feasible? It’s extremely feasible!” Lin Yu said smugly, “We’re not cultivating masters;
we’re cultivating skilled workers! We don’t want creativity;
we want execution! Use the simplest methods to solve the most practical problems! That’s the essence of management!”

“This ‘Formation Lines Repair Hall’ is our experimental field! Do it well, and you’ll become the Cloud Hidden Sect’s ‘Process Management Master,’ your position as solid as Mount Tai!”

An unprecedented light ignited in Su Ming’s eyes.

He seemed to see a brand new, completely different path from traditional cultivation slowly unfolding before him.

Just as he was immersed in this grand blueprint.

“Su Ming! Su Ming!”

Two voices, crisp as orioles, came from afar, breaking the night’s tranquility.

Su Ming looked up and saw two small figures, carrying lanterns, rushing energetically toward Courtyard Ding-Qi.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep