After making his decision, Yang Wenqing raised his left hand and waved. A streak of spiritual light flashed through the middle of the living room, and the traces of the Foundation-Stabilizing Formation etched into the floor immediately vanished. Then he took out a sheet of white paper, called up the formation materials needed for Second Refinement cultivation, and first inscribed the formation onto the paper.
This formation was called the Origin-Stabilizing Meridian-Nourishing Formation. It could sort through the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forming a stable force field that prevented damage to one's foundation while tempering the skin and flesh. It could also ease the discomfort brought by tempering the skin and flesh, protecting a cultivator's mind.
This formation was far more complex than the Foundation-Stabilizing Formation of the First Refinement. It took the form of a nine-grid layout, with three rings nested inside and outside one another. The three formation eyes of the inner ring formed a triangular arrangement and required energy cores to be embedded within them. The middle ring had six auxiliary nodes, where silver sand or gold sand had to be used to draw special spirit-guiding runes. The outer ring required a complete spread of Clearheart Grass powder, forming a barrier to soothe the mind.
The most crucial part was the center of the formation, where a Black Tortoise Shell had to be placed as the formation base. A "Stabilize" character rune had to be drawn on the Black Tortoise Shell with Centennial Stone Marrow Liquid.
"Just the materials alone will cost quite a bit..."
Yang Wenqing calculated. Around three hundred grams of silver sand would cost over six thousand yuan. Clearheart Grass powder was even more expensive—fifty yuan per gram, and around two hundred grams would be enough. That alone was ten thousand yuan. Fortunately, it was not consumed too quickly. The most expensive item was still the Black Tortoise Shell; one piece would probably take ten thousand yuan to secure.
He already had Stone Marrow Liquid on hand, and inscribing a single "Stabilize" character rune would not require much. Even so, more or less half of his savings of over fifty thousand yuan would be gone.
Judging from the silver powder consumed by the previous Foundation-Stabilizing Formation, this formation would likely cost about the same. That meant a fixed monthly expense of several thousand yuan, which was no small sum for him.
At that moment, he suddenly found himself missing a Spiritual Energy Riot. It was dangerous, but it was also a rare opportunity to legally use force to seize wealth. Or he could join the Second Squad as soon as possible, escape the disputes within the city, and lead his team beyond the county seat to hunt Demon Race members and monsters for money.
The unnecessary thoughts passed in an instant. Yang Wenqing soon cleared away the stray ideas, fetched a bowl of water, and used his finger as a pen to carefully trace the rune lines of the Origin-Stabilizing Meridian-Nourishing Formation across the floor. He was familiarizing himself with the new formation.
He focused completely, recalling every detail recorded in the jade slip. The positions of the three inner-ring formation eyes had to be precise, forming a perfect equilateral triangle. The turns of the spirit-guiding runes at the six middle-ring auxiliary nodes had to be smooth and rounded, without the slightest hitch. The outer-ring boundary had to be stable as well, ensuring that the Clearheart Grass powder would form a complete barrier when laid down.
Though this formation was small, there were countless things to pay attention to. It even required knowledge of mathematics and physics to ensure the formation was properly structured.
His first attempt was slow and awkward. Once he finished, Yang Wenqing studied it carefully for a moment, summed up the experience and shortcomings, then waved away the water marks. After taking a deep breath, he began again.
After eight repeated attempts, relying on his Qi Refining Stage cultivation and the powerful consciousness brought by his Golden Core, he no longer needed to consult the materials to inscribe the formation. By then, the moon outside the window had already sunk westward.
On his ninth attempt, he could draw the complete outline of the formation in one continuous sweep. Though it was still somewhat raw, at least all the components could now connect properly.
"I'll get familiar with it to this extent first. Two more attempts tomorrow should be enough to draw it properly!" Yang Wenqing rubbed his slightly swollen brow and put away the bowl of water.
However, he did not rest. Instead, he took out the Azure Edge shortsword and continued nourishing it. Afterward, he checked the time, spread out some talisman paper, steadied his breathing, and inscribed the day's talismans. By the time he finished, it was already deep into the night. Yang Wenqing lay down fully dressed and rested for only two hours before waking on time under the pull of his biological clock.
The balcony was already bathed in sunlight. He rose briskly, used a Dust-Cleansing Technique to remove the dust from his body, then went to the balcony and performed a set of punches to loosen his muscles and bones. When the time reached seven thirty, he left home.
Yang Wenqing first went to a bank near the community and exchanged six thousand yuan for three hundred grams of prepared silver powder, which he carefully stored in his storage bag.
Afterward, he turned onto a relatively quiet street in East City District and found the materials shop called Listening Rain Pavilion. The storefront was not large, but its decor was elegant. It was the very shop Deputy Director Gao had introduced to him.
The moment Yang Wenqing entered, the shopkeeper came up to greet him. He had visited several times already, so after exchanging a few polite words, they began the transaction. Talisman paper sold for eighteen yuan a sheet here, one yuan more than at the sub-bureau's Logistics Office. Yang Wenqing had brought half a month's worth this time. After deducting the cost of the talisman paper, he could earn five thousand yuan.
After the talisman paper transaction was complete, Yang Wenqing took out the formation materials list and said to the shopkeeper, "Prepare another set according to this."
The shopkeeper took the list and glanced over it without showing any particular expression. Before long, he brought out two hundred grams of high-quality Clearheart Grass powder and a Black Tortoise Shell with clear patterns.
"Captain Yang, the Clearheart Grass powder will be nine thousand five hundred. Deputy Director Gao specifically instructed us to save this Black Tortoise Shell for you, so we'll only charge you eleven thousand."
Yang Wenqing nodded. The prices were slightly cheaper than the warehouse at the sub-bureau's Logistics Office.
After paying and carefully putting away the materials, Yang Wenqing headed straight back to the City Defense Sub-Bureau. When he entered the Third Squad office, the hands of the wall clock were already pointing at a quarter past nine.
The office was livelier than usual. Lin Wan and Liu Qin were chatting. Wu Yan and Liu Rong had likely gone to handle the tasks he had assigned them, while Zhao Qin and Qian You were reading old case files to familiarize themselves with the procedures for handling cases.
Meanwhile, two unfamiliar faces sat properly on chairs near the door. The instant Yang Wenqing's gaze passed over them, he understood what was going on. They were the final two team members, Sun Yi and Li Yue. When the two saw Yang Wenqing enter the office, they immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"Captain!" Both of them spoke loudly.
Yang Wenqing's gaze swept over these two final members to report in.
Sun Yi stood ramrod straight, with just the right amount of respect on his face.
Li Yue stood just as straight as a spear. Her shoulder insignia bore the two silver bars of a Senior Guard rank, yet her brows and eyes revealed a resilience and sharpness rarely seen in ordinary women. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and she naturally gave off a calm, capable air as she stood there. Her gaze met Yang Wenqing's steadily, without the slightest hint of timidity or evasion.
For a woman to rise to Senior Guard on the front lines of city defense, she was certainly no ordinary person.
"Sit."
Yang Wenqing walked to his desk and sat down. In an even tone, he said, "Welcome to the Third Squad. We are mainly responsible for internal coordination and certain complex regional cases. From now on, we'll be colleagues fighting shoulder to shoulder."
Sun Yi immediately replied with a smile, "Yes, Captain! We'll familiarize ourselves with the work as quickly as possible."
Li Yue gave another crisp salute, her voice clear and steady. "I'll adapt as quickly as possible."
Yang Wenqing nodded slightly. "The two of you will investigate cases as a pair from now on, with Li Yue taking the lead." There was nothing wrong with this arrangement; after all, Li Yue was a Senior Guard.
As the two nodded, Yang Wenqing looked toward Zhao Qin and instructed, "Xiao Zhao, take them to the Logistics Office and request another standard office desk and matching chairs."
"Yes, Captain!" Zhao Qin reacted quickly, startling Qian You, who sat across from him.
Watching the three leave, Yang Wenqing finally felt what it was like to be a leader.
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