Chapter 475

Chapter 475: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (2)

A detailed introduction on the metal humanoid was written in the book.

“Grade-1 Soulless Metal Humanoid, a unique puppet crafted by soul oracles. It possesses its own consciousness and one can control it via fusing their soul into it. There’s a spirit stone formation placed within its body which allows for its strength to be enhanced even without cultivating. If several metal humanoids were to be controlled simultaneously, it would form an incredible fighting prowess. Flaws: …”

Possesses its own consciousness?

What does that mean?

Could it be that this fellow was still alive? Otherwise… How could it possibly possess its own consciousness?

Zhang Xuan continued reading on.

“… Flaw 4, its soul has been willingly stripped from its body, leaving behind only a sliver of inextinguishable flame of life within its body. Thus, it cannot regain sanity. Flaw 5…”

“Could it be that…” Suddenly recalling something, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

Legend had it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids were crafted using living human beings. Initially, Zhang Xuan still held some doubts toward this matter as legends tended to be exaggerated. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like it was true.

The main reason why an inextinguishable flame of life within the body was probably prevent the body from rotting. In essence, the metal humanoid was no different from a person in a vegetative state. While it was a corpse on the surface, its body still retained equal flexibility as it did when it was still alive.

A person’s body was intricately linked to the soul. Once a soul was lost, a person would die and their soul would gradually decay. But if that were to happen, how could one forge the metal humanoids?

Putting everything aside, it would take some time to coat the entire body with metal. If body were to be completely dead, it would probably decay before one could succeed in the process.

Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan was angered by the cruelty of soul oracle when he suddenly noticed something and shook his head, “That isn’t it. Their souls were stripped from them with their consent. Could it be that these people had done so willingly?”

It was written in the book from the Library of Heaven’s Path that these people had allowed for their own souls to be extracted.

In other words, the soul oracles didn’t force this fate on them. The original host of the metal humanoids had consented to the matter themselves. That was also why an inextinguishable flame of life could be left behind. Otherwise, if they were to struggle, there was an extremely high chance that the entire soul would be destroyed.

If that were to happen, it would be impossible to preserve the body, lest to say, forge a metal humanoid.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan deduced most of the matter. “Legend had it that some influential powers groomed teams of loyal death soldiers who would lay down their lives for their masters. The original host of this metal humanoid was probably the same as well. Groomed by the soul oracles, the purpose of their lives was to turn into metal humanoids and serve them for all eternity…”

Since most large powers chose to groom death soldiers, there was no reason why the soul oracles wouldn’t. Besides, this type of occupation specialized in subject of souls. Brainwashing a cultivator to have them accept having their souls taken away from them was also a possibility.

Fearsome!

Sinister!

To be able to make someone willingly allow himself to be turned into a puppet, soul oracles were indeed fearsome.

He was just considering whether he should capture a few of them to devour them so as to raise his cultivation. However, after learning about their callous means, he shuddered… It was best for him not to take the risk!

Continuing on, he soon finished browsing through the books.

There wasn’t anything much noteworthy in the latter part of the content. Most of them were just on the flaws of the Soulless Metal Humanoid and the method to drive them.

“It’s a pity that I can’t use it…”

After reading through the contents, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment.

The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and their souls were capable of leaving their body to control the puppet. However, Zhang Xuan wasn’t capable of doing so.

Throughout his cultivation, he had never come into contact with any books detailing the cultivation of one’s soul. In other words… even though he had reached Half-Transcension already, his soul was still firmly integrated in his body. He couldn’t operate the two of them separately.

This was just like driving a car. In order to drive a car, one had to get onto the driver’s seat first. If one’s soul couldn’t leave one’s body, one wouldn’t be able to enter the metal humanoid to drive it.

In truth, Zhang Xuan had been thinking that if he could control it, it would be equivalent to gaining a Transcendent Mortal realm death soldier. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was nothing more than a dream.

His soul was still locked in his physical body, unable to leave its restraints. In other words… this puppet was completely useless to him now!

Admittedly, if he were to meet with danger, he could still use it as a shield.

Cough, cough.

After going through so much trouble, he only ended up buying a shield… Just the thought of it left him faint-headed.

“Keep!”

After taking another look, Zhang Xuan verified that there was no important information to be derived from the Soulless Metal Humanoid and thus, he put it away within his storage ring. Then, flicking his wrist, a round ball appeared on his palm.

It was the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container that Elder Chen had used to repay his debt.

“There’s a flaw here, here, and here as well…”

Touching the round lead-like object, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the various location of the flaws detailed in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

There was only a total of seventeen flaws so it didn’t take him too long to finish the job.

Kacha!

A mechanical sound suddenly echoed from the sphere in his hand. It sounded as though something was being unlocked.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan leaped in shock.

From the outer appearance, the artifact was no different from a lead ball. There wasn’t the slightest gap or slit on it, causing him to suspect that it was just an ordinary ball of metal.

He didn’t expect that it could be opened.

“How exquisite…”

Lowering his head to take a look, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but compliment, “Could it be that this Celestial Designer Institute is something similar to the Beast Hall and Apothecary Guild, that it is somewhere celestial designers gather?”

Having duplicated the books throughout the entire Appraiser Hall, even though he hadn’t assimilated all of the knowledge yet, he’d learned of another incredible occupation — Celestial Designer!

This occupation didn’t possess too much fighting prowess. Rather, the field they specialized in was machinery, and they belonged to the Lower Nine Paths.

It was said that the most elusive secret weapon, the most complicated puppet, and the toughest armor all came from their design. Even though blacksmiths were capable of forging powerful equipment and tools as well, if one wanted to bring out a greater prowess from these equipment and tools, one had to find a celestial designer for a blueprint.

Most top-notch experts would choose to hire both a celestial designer and a blacksmith simultaneously when they wanted to craft their personal weapon. The tools designed by celestial designers tended to contain innumerable tricks within them, making it difficult for one to guard against such tools.

Taking Zheng Yang’s spear for example, he had to fix the spear himself manually each time he wanted to wield it, making it an exceptionally troublesome process. However, if a blacksmith were to craft something based on the design of a celestial designer, it could end up being an object similar to a chopstick that could extend to more than a zhang long (3.33m) upon a light click.

Another example was this Celestial Designer Mechanical Container. The flaws recorded in the Library of Heaven’s Path were probably the weaker points at which it was linked at. Only when exerting pressure precisely at these points could one open it properly.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful one was, one could do nothing about it. And if one were to use excessive strength, one might end up ruining the object contained within it as well.

“What kind of valuable object was stored in this container?”

Curious, Zhang Xuan pried the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container open.

The moment he came into contact with this object, the Library of Heaven’s Path immediately gave him the evaluation saying that ‘Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, forged by the Celestial Designer Institute with complex mechanical systems. It can’t be opened without knowing the specific sequences required to do so. It’s likely that some important treasure is hidden within it!’

Since it was an artifact stored in such an exquisitely-made container, it was unlikely for it to be anything ordinary.

Opening the box, a thin layer of beastskin was placed within it. Zhang Xuan couldn’t tell what kind of beast the fabric was made of but one thing that was certain was that it was extraordinarily durable. It was clear that it had been kept for innumerable years already but yet it remained completely undamaged.

He carefully lifted it up.

“Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps? What’s this?”

Five large words ‘Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps’ were written on the very top of the beastskin.

Reading on, a poem appeared in Zhang Xuan’s sight.

“A cloud of red dust for three thousand li, treading to the clear skies with a smile!”

Beyond the poem detailed the origin of the beastskin.

“The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps originates from Sage Zhong, one of Kong shi’s students. On the day which he successfully mastered the technique, shouldering a massive mountain, with a single step, he appeared three thousand li away and soared into the vast skies. With the grace from Sage Zhong, our lineage is bestowed with the first scroll of Heaven Ascending Steps to pass on to our descendants so I hope that you can treasure this scroll. In order to prevent it from landing into the hands of outsiders, it’s placed within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container so that no one except for those who carry our bloodline are capable of opening it…”

“It’s a movement technique?”

Coming to a realization, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Given that this was the creation of one of Kong shi’s students, the value of the battle technique was unimaginable.

It was no wonder why it was placed within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container.

Under normal circumstances, this container could only be opened with a unique method that only those who bear the bloodline of their lineage knew of. Naturally, Zhang Xuan had no idea what that method was.

The only reason why he could open it was due to him finding the flaws of the object through the Library of Heaven’s Path.

It was just like a typical security system in his previous life. One could unlock it if one knew the password but even if one were to forget it, one could still ask for an administrator to help them unlock it.

That was the privilege that Zhang Xuan was using now.

The Library of Heaven’s Path was able to see through the very core of the container, allowing Zhang Xuan to strike accurately at its fundamental flaws. Thus, no matter how tightly-sealed or intricate the container was, it didn’t make a difference to him.

“I wonder if there are any flaws in the battle technique left behind by Kong shi’s student!”

Holding the secret manual, Zhang Xuan muttered ‘flaws’.

It had already become a habit of his to check if there were any flaws in a battle technique.

Since this skill was created by Kong shi’s student, it must be of an unimaginable tier… However, no matter how powerful a skill was, it was impossible for it to be completely flawless.

Hu!

A book appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind. He hurriedly flipped it open to take a look.

“Only 42 flaws?”

Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan was astonished.

As expected of a movement technique created by Kong shi’s student, it was indeed a fearsome existence. Having only 42 flaws in a high-tier technique was truly a formidable accomplishment.

In the battle techniques that Zhang Xuan had flipped through previously, there were at least several hundred flaws. This was the reason why every single battle technique required more than a thousand books to form the flawless Heaven’s Path battle techniques.

Yet, this battle technique only had 42 flaws. This clearly reflected how formidable a battle technique it was. If knowledge of it were to be leaked out, it would surely cause massive bloodshed.

“But there are still so many flaws in there, how am I supposed to learn it…”

It was one thing if Zhang Xuan didn’t know that there were any flaws in there, but now that he knew, his face immediately turned bitter.

No matter how delicious a fruit is, once you know that there are worms within, it will be impossible to whet your appetite.

Zhang Xuan was too used to his cultivation techniques and battle techniques being flawless. Knowing that there were more than forty flaws in the technique, even though he knew that it was a powerful skill, he was still unable to get past this and learn it.

“Right, Heaven’s Path Movement Art is also a type of movement art. Perhaps I might be able to fuse them together!”

Heaven’s Path Movement Art was a technique created by compiling innumerable movement technique secret manuals together. Even though it only consisted of the bare basics, it was the fundamentals to the very essence of the world. Perhaps, the both of them could be fused together to make up for the flaws of the Heaven Ascending Steps.

“Compile!”

Placing the two books together, Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

A new book appeared.

Zhang Xuan immediately flipped through it.

“Three flaws? Great! Even though there are still three left, it’s still an acceptable number…”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Even though there were still three flaws left, there wasn’t any major mistakes to it anymore, making it worthwhile to learn. At the very most, he would just have to collect more movement technique secret manuals and try to fuse them together with the Heaven Ascending Steps.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the contents.

With a single look, his eyes narrowed and his lips went pale.

“Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps — Parallel Heaven Scroll. Could this be… flight?”

Chapter 476: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (1)

Parallel heaven, in other words, to stand on equal footing with the heavens.

Ordinary cultivators, even Transcendent Mortal experts, were incapable of flight. They still had to rely on aerial savage beasts to reach the skies. Yet, this cultivation technique claimed to be able to parallel the heavens. Didn’t this mean that one would be capable of flight after learning the battle technique?

Flight had always been one of the greatest dreams of humans. Be it his previous life or his current one, Zhang Xuan had always possessed a yearning to soar through the skies. Thus, upon seeing the content, he couldn’t help but feel agitated.

“A smile in the red dust, soaring alongside the wind. Parallel Heaven Scroll, upon mastery, grants one the ability of soaring in the skies, standing alongside the heavens…”

Zhang Xuan swiftly continued reading on.

“Incredible…”

Reading the contents within carefully, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as though a new perspective to his understanding of cultivation had been unlocked.

Flight was something that even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts were incapable of. Legend had it that only upon ascending beyond the Transcendent Mortal realm would one be capable of the feat. Yet, it was detailed here that as long as one cultivated properly, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, or perhaps even a Half-Transcension like him, would be able to step into the skies!

“Transcendent Mortal cultivators strive to comprehend the essence of the world, thus granting them a certain level of control over their environment. By gathering this energy and molding it, one would be able to step on thin air and ascend to the skies!”

This was the main concept behind the scroll.

If it were any other Half-Transcension cultivator, they would definitely be unable to comprehend such a deep cultivation technique. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Given that most of the flaws had been resolved by the Library of Heaven’s Path and the deep knowledge Zhang Xuan contained in his head, even though there were some intricacies here and there, they weren’t sufficient to impede his progress.

“When one falls into the water, one can ascend upward by stepping against the water. Even though water is lacking is solidity, it is still able to make one float… and air is capable of the same feat as well! As long as one finds the correct method to driving the energy of the world, stepping against the air to float one isn’t a difficult task at all. This is also what it means to mold energy with one’s cultivation…”

After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and his eyes lit up.

“Incredible! To think that there would be such a formidable battle technique in the world!”

As expected of Kong shi’s student, Sage Zhong’s comprehension of the heavens had reached an unthinkable level.

All of the battle techniques and cultivation technique he had seen before paled far too much before it. There was no basis of comparison at all.

The scroll had opened an entirely new world before him, granting him a much deeper understanding of battle techniques and cultivation techniques.

“It’s a pity that this is only the first scroll. I wonder how profound the latter ones might be!”

Zhang Xuan sighed in lamentation.

After he finished browsing through it, he came to a realization. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps was only an introduction formula. It was only suited for Transcendent Mortal cultivators, and after going beyond that realm, it would become redundant.

That was because beyond Transcendent Mortal, one would gain the capability of flight. Even if one had mastered the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, at best, it would only augment one’s flight speed by a small bit.

“I should give it a try…”

After resting for a moment, Zhang Xuan reorganized the Parallel Heaven Scroll before sitting down to drive his zhenqi according to the formula detailed in the scroll.

Even though he was still at Half-Transcension only, he already possessed a certain level of control over his surroundings. At this very moment, all of his attention and energy throughout his body was focused at a single point.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan’s meditating body gradually lifted up, as though a balloon rising up from the bottom of the water.

Putong!

But barely after three breaths, he immediately fell down and began panting heavily.

“What fearsome expenditure…”

Zhang Xuan’s face turned pale.

Just to hold himself in the air for three breaths, he had sapped his zhenqi dry. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps sounded incredible, and being capable of flying in the air was also extremely incredible, but the zhenqi expenditure was simply way too exaggerated!

If he could only sustain it for such a short period of time, he would come falling down to earth before he could do anything in the air.

“Looks like… this is still a rather useless battle technique for me at the moment…”

Zhang Xuan was disappointed.

He thought that he would be able to soar into the heavens right after mastering it but from the looks of it… he was expecting way too much!

A flight that could only be sustained for three seconds was futile. No matter how high he could soar, after three seconds, he would come crashing back to earth due to lack of zhenqi.

What in the world was this? He’d learned such a formidable battle technique… But in the end, it was completely useless; he could reach even greater heights just by jumping. On top of that, he would come crashing down right after three seconds… At this very moment, Zhang Xuan made up his mind not to use this technique in public so as to not embarrass himself.

Grabbing a few spirit stones, Zhang Xuan frenziedly absorbed the spiritual energy within them; it took him an hour before he fully recovered.

In the end, the main problem was that his cultivation was too low, resulting in him possessing insufficient zhenqi to upkeep with his expenditure.

If he could bring his cultivation realm up a few notches, it might become much easier for him to execute the technique.

After studying the technique for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan evaluated that he wasn’t suited to using the battle technique at the moment so he stretched his back and walked out.

“Young master, there’s a fellow outside insisting on meeting you. I’ve already chased him away three times but he still shows up every single day… Should I inform Elder Jin so that he can toss the other party out?”

Right after walking out, Sun Qiang hurriedly walked up and spoke with an annoyed expression on his face.

“Someone is insisting on meeting me?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He didn’t know anyone here so why would anyone come here to look for him?

“I don’t know who he is either. I’ve asked him several times but he simply refuses to speak. Just looking at his arrogant face makes me feel so infuriated…” Sun Qiang harrumphed.

“Arrogant?” Zhang Xuan felt even more perplexed.

There was someone in the world who could be more arrogant than this Big Brother Qiang here?

It was truly incredible that someone could annoy him to such a point.

“Is that person still around?” Intrigued, Zhang Xuan asked.

“Yes!”

“Lead me to him!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

“Un. He’s at the lounge!” Sun Qiang pointed.

The living quarters that Hall Master Sai assigned them was an independent residence with seven to eight bedrooms and an average-sized lounge.

Stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan saw a young man sitting on one of the seats. An elder stood behind the young man, and the aura shrouding him was vague and barely discernible, revealing his extraordinary cultivation.

It was the young man and the elder of Suite 23.

…

Seated in the lounge, Song Chao felt a little frustrated.

That day, when the item he wanted was intercepted by Suite 1, he had felt extremely displeased. Thus, he secretly had his men look into the matter and he finally managed to track the other party down.

The one who was with Hall Master Sai then was a master teacher named Zhang Xuan. As for his specific identity, there wasn’t sufficient information to make any conclusion.

Upon hearing that the other party was a master teacher, Song Chao immediately heaved a sigh of relief.

If the other party was of any other identity, he wouldn’t be in a good position to do anything. But for master teacher… As a 4-star master teacher, he definitely ranked within the top in Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He didn’t think that a fellow who wasn’t even twenty yet could be a match for him.

Master teachers viewed hierarchy very strictly. Since the other party’s ranking was lower than him, this matter would be easy to solve.

Thus, he excitedly came knocking on the other party’s door but in the end, all three trips of his ended in futile…

And more importantly, that butler of his even viewed him as a scammer and tried to chase him out… If not in consideration of his identity, he would have long slapped the other party to death.

“Young master, do you think that… he’ll sell it to us?”

Seeing the frustration in the young master’s eyes, the elder couldn’t help but ask.

The reason why they made the long journey here was due to hearing rumors regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, the young master ended up being outbid on the auction. Thus, he looked into the background of the buyer and came knocking in hopes of being able to buy it down… But given how the other party bought it at an exorbitant price, why would he be willing to sell it to them?

“Humph, he doesn’t have a choice in the matter! As long as he’s a master teacher, I have a way to make him sell it to me!” Grabbing the armrest of the chair, Song Chao’s face turned frosty.

“Does young master have an idea in mind?” The elder’s eyes lit up.

“Of course. As a 4-star master teacher, I’ll definitely be able to easily see the flaws in his cultivation. As long as I offer his guidance, he’ll definitely hand it over obediently…”

Song Chao’s mouth curled up.

It was impossible for a cultivator to possess no flaws with his cultivation at all. As a 4-star master teacher, he was more than confident of guiding a small figure who wasn’t even twenty yet on his cultivation.

The moment he helps the other party achieve a breakthrough, the other party would surely be filled with gratitude for him. Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, it was even possible for the other party to kowtow on the spot and beg him to take him in as his student.

“That’s true…”

After a moment of silence, the elder slowly nodded his head in agreement.

Master teachers did possess the capability and charisma to do so. The reason why he willingly followed the young master wasn’t just because of the debt of gratitude he owed to the young master’s clan; more importantly, it was because of this.

Following behind a master teacher was an opportunity in itself. Listening more to the words of a master teacher could help one to avoid straying on the wrong path on one’s cultivation, allowing one’s cultivation to rise swiftly.

“Young master, they are the ones who wish to meet you!”

Just as the elder was wondering whether they would be able to meet Zhang shi today, the butler’s sound echoed and two men walked into the lounge.

The one walking in front didn’t look too old, seemingly below twenty. From the looks of it, he must be that legendary Zhang Xuan.

“You’re looking for me?”

Upon stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan’s confusion deepened. He had never met these two before. What business could they have with him?

“That’s right. I am 4-star Master Teacher Song Chao!” Song Chao stood up and gestured grandly.

“4-star master teacher?” Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before quickly clasping his fist. “Oh, Zhang Xuan pays respect to Song shi!”

He didn’t think that this fellow who didn’t seem as though he was thirty yet would actually be a 4-star master teacher. As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was indeed filled with talents.

“Un!” Seeing that the other party’s attitude was not bad, Song Chao nodded his head in satisfaction. He was just about to bring out the disposition of an elder and guide the other party when a set of footsteps sounded outside.

“Zhang shi, you’re finally out! All of the items you asked for have already been gathered…”

Hall Master Sai walked in.

Upon walking into the room, Hall Master Sai saw Song Chao and clasped his fist, “Sai Xiaoyu pays respect to Song shi!”

Hall Master Sai had met Song Chao over the past two days, while the latter was trying to look into Zhang shi’s affairs.

After greeting the latter, Hall Master Sai immediately turned his attention to Zhang Xuan and delightfully passed a storage ring over to him with a fawning look.

“You’ve gathered everything? So fast?”

Didn’t you say that it’ll take three days? It has only been slightly more than two days but you’re already done?

Taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swept through the contents within with his mind and realized that it was filled entirely with cultivation technique and battle technique manuals. In total, they added up to more than ten thousand books.

There were cultivation technique manuals on Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, 2-dan, and 3-dan.

But just like what Hall Master Sai said before, the quantity of the books reduced as the level of the cultivation technique manuals went up.

But even so, it was already a huge harvest.

From the looks of it, he should be able to compile a perfect Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation technique.

“You did well!”

Smiling slightly, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in commendation.

“Since I’ve already given you my word, it’s only right for me to do it to the best of my abilities…”

Hall Master Sai replied in delight after receiving the commendation. After which, with a flick of his wrist, he took out an emblem and said, “Zhang shi, I’ve reported the matter regarding how you passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets to the headquarters, and this is the 5-star appraiser emblem that they have bestowed to you…”

“5-star emblem?” Taking the emblem from the other party’s hand, as expected, Zhang Xuan saw five bright stars on the surface of the emblem.

This almost felt like a dream. To think that he would become a 5-star appraiser just by clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet.

Wasn’t the appraiser examination a little too easy?

Chapter 477: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (2)

“The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet is a test for 5-star appraisers, and it’s of extreme difficulty. Under usual circumstances, one would have passed the test just by successfully appraising a single object. Yet, you managed to appraise three of them and even to the extent of… having the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet operation table acknowledge you as its owner. If you can’t even qualify as a 5-star appraiser with that…”

Seeing through Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly.

Honestly speaking, in his view, even the rank of a 5-star appraiser seemed to be an understatement of the other party’s ability.

Just through his appraisal, he could make those invaluable artifacts acknowledge him as their master. That as a skill that only appraisers of 6-star and above possessed.

But of course, the Honghai City Appraiser Hall wasn’t of sufficient rank to apply for a 6-star emblem.

“Does appraiser have no demand on one’s cultivation?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask.

Master teacher, apothecary, beast tamer, physician… All of these Upper Nine Paths occupations were very demanding on one’s cultivation. Without a sufficiently high cultivation realm, no matter how capable one was in the occupation, one would still be unable to progress through the ranks.

It was just like how even though Zhang Xuan caused such a huge uproar in Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild back then, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild was only able to grant him the position of an elder and his ranking was still pending to date.

To be suddenly given the ranking of a 5-star appraiser just like that, wasn’t it making a little too light of the occupation?

“The main responsibility of an appraiser is to appraise artifacts. As such, there isn’t any specific requirement to one’s cultivation. In truth, most Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths occupations work in the same way as well. Only the occupations of the Upper Nine Paths have such rigorous restrictions on one’s cultivation!” Hall Master Sai explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

While the duo was chatting so happily, Song Chao’s vision was turning dark and he nearly fainted from anger.

No matter what, he was a 4-star master teacher, a pinnacle existence within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting aside how that Zhang shi ignored him right after greeting him… To think that Hall Master Sai would do the same as well! Furthermore, for the two of them to be chatting so happily in his presence, disregarding his existence…

Wasn’t this blatant disregard for him?

Previously, he thought that the butler must have a screw loose to have tried to attempt to chase him out. But now, from the looks of it… it was probably the owner’s influence!

To think that the two of you would disregard a 4-star master teacher and chat so happily together like that, do you all not even know basic courtesy…

“Hmph!” Unable to hold it in anymore, Song Chao flung his sleeves and tilted his face upward. Placing his hands behind his back, he spoke furiously, “Zhang shi and Hall Master Sai, a 4-star master teacher is in your presence. Is this how you treat your guests…”

But before he could finish his words, the elder beside him said awkwardly, “Young master, they have already left…”

“Left?”

Taken aback, Song Chao quickly turned his head around, only to see Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai walking out of the room with a smile on their faces.

Having obtained the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals he had been waiting for, Zhang Xuan was eager to compile the Heaven’s Path Divine Art to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Thus, how could he possibly be willing to stay here a single moment longer?

“You…”

Song Chao was on the verge of spewing blood.

It was one thing to disregard his presence, but to leave without saying a word… It was clear that they had forgotten about him, a 4-star master teacher! Damn it!

Were they simply too brave or was he really that insignificant?

“Hold it right there…”

Bellowing furiously, his figure blurred and as though an apparition, he flitted a distance of several dozen meters in an instant and blocked the path of the duo.

His cultivation was immediately revealed as soon as he used his cultivation technique.

Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm primary stage!

“Zhang shi, do you know that there is a fatal flaw with your cultivation technique, and your life is hanging by a thread?”

Knowing that violence should be the last option, Song Chao suppressed his anger and donned the disposition befitting of an expert.

“My cultivation technique?”

The cultivation technique Zhang Xuan practiced was derived from the Library of Heaven’s Path so how could there possibly be a flaw in it?

But a moment later, Zhang Xuan immediately comprehended the situation.

Flaws in one’s cultivation technique were an unavoidable problem for all cultivators. The other party was probably trying to use words to hoodwink him before using some method to find a flaw in his cultivation technique so as to offer him some pointer.

There were some master teachers who used this method to have the person they had set their eyes on to have him acknowledge them as his teacher.

In fact, Zhang Xuan had done so himself as well. Back then, Wang Ying fell for the exact same trick.

“That’s right. If you wish to overcome your current realm, I can lend you my assistance. If so, you can avoid many unwanted hassles!”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was hooked, Song Chao felt gleeful. With an earnest expression on his face, he was just about to randomly spout some common problems in cultivation so further enhance his credibility when the young man before him stared at him with a frown.

“Song shi, do you feel an aching pain in your [Huihai Acupoint] and frailty in your [Baichi Acupoint] that results in you being unable to focus your attention?”

“I’m talking about your problems so you should…” Song Chao was just about to reprimand the other party when he suddenly realized something and his body froze. “How do you know about it?”

Recently, during his cultivation, he found that he was unable to gather zhenqi in his Huihai acupoint, and whenever he did so, he would experience a sharp pain as though someone was tearing it apart. His Baichi acupoint also felt a little feeble, thus making it hard for him to concentrate.

This was precisely the reason why he took this trip out, unintentionally heard news regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and came over here. Otherwise, as a talented 4-star master teacher, how could he have the spare effort to be wandering around?

“Not only so, when you cultivate, do you feel a numbness in your left thigh and your right leg often convulses?”

Zhang Xuan continued.

“I…” Song Chao’s face slowly turned pale.

That was spot-on.

“If I’m not mistaken, your cultivation technique should be [Supreme Art of Heaven’s Frost]. There’s no mistake with your cultivation method and your cultivation technique, at Spirit intermediate-tier, is rather powerful as well. However, it’s a pity that… three months ago, in an attempt to forcibly raise your cultivation, an error occurred which resulted in your meridians being blocked by the frost element of your cultivation technique. The direct result of that is numbness in your left thigh, convulse of your right leg, frailty in the Baichi acupoint, and sharp pain in the Huihai acupoint!”

Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly.

This fellow had just executed his battle technique to block their way, and this had caused a corresponding book to be compiled within the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Then… is there a way to resolve this problem?”

Song Chao asked anxiously.

The other party had described his current physical condition accurately. However, there wasn’t a clear solution for the blockage of his acupoints. Even his teacher, a half 5-star master teacher, was incapable of solving the problem so he could only let it recover gradually with time.

Thus, Song Chao had given up all hope and decided to simply wait it out. Yet, this young man here had identified all of his symptoms clearly… How in the world did he manage to do it?

“Five thousand spirit stones. I’ll help you solve your problem and achieve a breakthrough!” Zhang Xuan spoke impassively.

“Five thousand?” Song Chao hesitated.

“If I’m not mistaken, you should have consulted a few other people on your problem but they are all helpless before it. If you don’t use my method, you’ll need at least an entire year to recover. I’m sure you know the consequences of not cultivating for an entire year!” Zhang Xuan was in no hurry at all.

“Alright, here is the spirit stones. I beseech Zhang shi for your guidance!” Soon, Song Chao gritted his teeth and replied.

With a flick of his wrist, a bunch of spirit stones fell to the floor. In an instant, dense spiritual energy gushed into the air.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He swiftly kept the spirit stones in his storage ring before saying, “The cure is extremely simple. You just have to drive your zhenqi along this meridian…”

“To offer pointers to even 4-star master teachers? Exactly how highly ranked is this Zhang shi…”

Hall Master Sai widened his eyes in shock.

He already knew that Zhang shi was extraordinary but still, he didn’t expect it to such a degree.

This Song Chao was a 4-star master teacher, and yet, his cultivation errors could still be pointed in an instant. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was able to solve the problem that had plagued the former for such a long period of time! Through this, it could be deduced that Zhang Xuan’s capability had reached an astounding level.

The body of the elder in the lounge froze, and his hyperventilation nearly acted up.

The young master had gone over to offer guidance to the other party in hopes of winning the other party’s gratitude and earn the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he became the one being guided instead? And on top of that, to be paying money as well…

What was with this sudden twist?

Even though he had witnessed the sight with his own eyes, he still felt as though he was going mad.

“… Alright, just cultivate using the method I just told you and your affliction will definitely be solved within three days!”

While the duo was shocked speechless, Zhang Xuan finished his guidance.

“Thank your Zhang shi for your guidance…”

After memorizing the method the other party spoke of, Song Chao felt awed. He subconsciously clasped his fist in gratitude.

“Un!”

Replying with a nod, Zhang Xuan continued walking on.

Any other master teacher would definitely find it hard to determine the cause of Song Chao’s affliction. However, once the cause was determined, solving it became much easier. Given how the other party was a 4-star master teacher, he should be more than capable to tell whether what Zhang Xuan said was true or not.

“Young master… Aren’t you going to ask for the Soulless Metal Humanoid from him? Why did you end up paying him instead…”

After Zhang Xuan left, the elder hurriedly walked up.

“Ah?”

Song Chao was suddenly jolted from his trance.

For some reason, when he was listening to the other party’s analysis and guidance previously, he unknowingly fell into a state of trance.

“This is… Impartation of Heaven’s Will? He used Impartation of Heaven’s Will on me? And I actually fell for it?”

Upon realizing something, Song Chao’s mouth twitched and he nearly fainted on the spot.

Even though the other party’s analysis and guidance were spot-on, logically speaking, he shouldn’t have obeyed every single word the other party said, going to the extent of even paying money. The only logical explanation for it was that… the other party had used Impartation of Heaven’s Will on him!

That was an ability unique to master teachers. As long as one’s words were true, one would be able to stimulate the zhenqi within the bodies of others’ and induce unconditional trust within others, making others follow one’s orders obediently.

His original intention was to offer guidance to the other party and yet, he ended up falling for the other party’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will instead… Song Chao felt as though he was going insane.

However, as a 4-star master teacher, Song Chao’s Soul Depth had reached 12.0. For the other party to be able to induce unconditional trust in him through the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, didn’t that mean that the other party’s Soul Depth was higher than his?

Are you for real?

“On top of that, just Impartation of Heaven’s Will by itself is insufficient… More importantly, one has to have the acknowledgement of the predecessors! Those who have been acknowledged of the predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion will possess a disposition that induces deference in others… Could it be that this fellow had earned the acknowledgement of even more predecessors than me?”

Song Chao’s fist clenched tightly together once more.

Master teachers were exceptionally sensitive to this kind of disposition, thus making it much easier for them to listen to the words of acknowledged master teachers.

This was also why it was said that even without the master teacher emblem, those who had been acknowledged by the predecessors could be easily recognized by their peers.

Song Chao was an incredible young genius who had been recognized by nine predecessors during the ritual, and as such, his sect had sent him to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament… Yet, such a figure was sent into a trance just by a single word. Didn’t this mean that the other party was acknowledged by even more predecessors than him?

B-but…

How was this possible?

Where in the world did this fellow come from? How could he be so formidable?

Song Chao was dumbfounded.

Chapter 478: Formation Master Guild

 

“Young master, have you… asked about the Soulless Metal Humanoid yet?”

Seeing the young master’s slightly trembling body, the elder knew that the young master would surely lose his sanity if they were to continue discussing this topic. Thus, he hurriedly changed the subject.

“Ah? I… forgot!”

Song Chao’s body swayed weakly.

He only had time to say a single sentence before the other party began pointing out the various symptoms he was suffering from. After that… he fell to the onslaught of words and lost himself.

Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he didn’t even manage to speak much.

How was he supposed to ask the question when he was in a trance?

“Then… I’ll try asking…” the elder said slowly.

“Un, go on… Be careful!” After hesitating for a moment, Song Chao nodded his head.

He was a little fearful at the moment already. He was scared that if he were to go over again, he might be bewitched by the other party’s words once more. Thus, it might be wiser to send his subordinate over instead.

But… Given that the other party was able to give him a lesson via the Impartation of Heaven’s Will and determine the root of his problem, the other party’s ranking as a master teacher was definitely above his. It was natural for a person of such capability to want to retain the Soulless Metal Humanoid to study it. If so, how could the other party possibly give it up to him?

“Yes!”

The elder nodded his head. He hurriedly walked over to Zhang Xuan who had already traveled a very far distance away during this period of time. “Zhang shi, we wish to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. May I know if… you’re interested in selling it? Our young master is willing to offer two half 5-star master teacher Tutelage Jade Tokens for it!”

“Forty-thousand spirit stones!” Zhang Xuan came to a stop.

“This price is already extremely high. Even our young master only has three of such Tutelage Jade Token… Wait a moment, what did you say?”

The elder thought that Zhang shi would reject him outright, but contrary to his expectation, the other party tossed out a price so candidly. Taken aback, the elder attempted to verify the matter by asking, “You’re saying that you’re willing to sell it to us at… forty-thousand spirit stones?”

Hu!

Before he could finish his words, a shadow flashed across his eyes and a Soulless Metal Humanoid appeared on the floor.

“If you can produce the spirit stones, you can take the metal humanoid away. I won’t be accepting any Tutelage Jade Token. If you don’t have the money to pay up… I’ll have to ask of you to leave!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

He was in a rush to compile and study the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and he didn’t want to waste any time dawdling here.

Since Zhang Xuan had already examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid already, it was of no use to him anymore. Rather to keeping it with him, he might as well sell it for a profit.

“…So simple?”

Standing behind, Song Chao had thought that the elder would surely fail. Never in his dreams did he expect the matter would be so simple…

If only he’d known that the fellow had the intention to sell it, he wouldn’t have tried to act cool and insist on offering guidance to the other party. In the end… not only did he fail in his deed, he became the one being taught instead…

He had truly embarrassed himself greatly today…

Song Chao felt frenzied.

As a master teacher, he was always able to perceive the intentions and meaning behind the actions of others. Yet, this fellow before him didn’t seem to obey any common sense at all. It felt as though he was knocking his head on a rock, every interaction with the other party simply left him faint-headed.

“Zhang shi, are you serious in selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me for forty-thousand spirit stones?”

Unable to hold back his agitation, Song Chao stepped forward.

“If you can’t afford it, the deal is off!”

Putting away the metal humanoid into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave once more.

“I’ll buy it…”

With a reddened face, Song Chao hurriedly spoke up.

Huala!

After saying those words, a mountain of spirit stones immediately appeared before everyone’s eyes. It totaled up to exactly forty-thousand.

“Un, the metal humanoid is yours then!” Taking the spirit stones, Zhang Xuan tossed the metal humanoid to the other party’s side, turned around, and left.

“Thank you, Zhang shi…”

Grabbing over the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Song Chao quickly placed it into his storage ring, fearful that the other party might change his mind. However, right after he kept the item, he suddenly froze. An urge to bash his head into the nearest pillar suddenly gripped him.

“I fell for his trick again! My forty-thousand spirit stones…”

How could he not even have tried to haggle with the other party? Clearly, he had fallen for the other party’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will once more, resulting in him taking out the sum immediately…

Thpse were his total savings throughout the years. To think that he would be sapped dry by the other party in an instant… Why did it have to be so damned?

What kind of monster was the other party?

“Congratulations, young master. You finally managed to obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid…” The elder clasped his fist.

“Scram!”

Song Chao was already in a very bad mood, and when he heard the congratulations, he immediately erupted.

“Keng… alright!”

Perplexed, the elder scratched his head doubtfully. What was wrong with the young master? Did he… damage his brain somehow?

…

While relishing in the joy of having just earned forty-thousand spirit stones with little to no effort, Zhang Xuan returned back to his room. With a flick of his wrist, several rows of bookshelves appeared before him.

With this, he wouldn’t have to worry about having insufficient spirit stones for his cultivation in the short term.

The pressing matter at hand was for him to read through more books so that he could raise his cultivation.

Sliding his finger across the rows of books, identical books appeared in his head.

Soon, all of the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals that Hall Master Sai had collected were replicated within the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Compile!”

Placing all of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation techniques together, Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

An entirely new book appeared before Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Picking it up, he began flipping through it.

“Transcendent Mortal, also known as Surmounting Mortality and Mortal Metamorphosis, refers to the stage where one evolves beyond the limits of mortals. One’s level of existence will be increased significantly. In order to transcend mortality, one has to abstain from inferior mortal sustenance and feast on the spiritual energy in the air instead. Those who consume material sustenance are intelligent but die, those who consume spiritual energy are intelligent and lasting…”

The content of the book appeared in Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

After an unknown period of time, he breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes.

He had finished comprehending the essence of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and he was ready to cultivate it now.

“Let’s begin!”

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he flicked his wrist and a spirit stone appeared in his hand. Driving his zhenqi according to the method detailed in the cultivation technique, he began absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stone.

Kacha!

Two breaths later, the spirit stone in his hand was reduced to powder.

“Hmm? This…”

Zhang Xuan’s face twitched.

Spirit stones were a natural product of the world. They contain spiritual energy and each of them are crystal clear… Going by logic, it should be exceptionally tough. Why did it simply crumble all of the sudden?

Lowering his head to assess the situation, a bizarre expression soon surfaced.

“The spiritual energy within… has been fully absorbed?”

Looking at the crumbled spirit stone on the floor, it was completely white, reminiscent of ashes. Clearly, the spiritual energy within it had been devoured completely.

“This… How many spirit stones will I require to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan?”

Zhang Xuan felt faint-headed.

He thought that several hundred spirit stones would be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Given that he had several ten thousand in his possession now, it should be a piece of cake. However, it seemed like he was severely underestimating his consumption rate.

Transcendent Mortal meant evolving beyond mortality.

His body had been tempered by Heaven’s Path zhenqi, making it far superior to that of ordinary humans. As such, the difficulty in him making the leap from a mortal to the next realm was hundred times greater than them as well.

It was easy to expand a ditch of one-meter radius wide by twofold but expanding an ocean by twofold… was exponentially more difficult!

That was exactly the case with him.

Nourished by the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, his physical body and soul had undergone a qualitative change, making him invincible among his fellow peers. However, this also made it harder for him to make the final breakthrough.

“If I were to absorb them one by one, it would just be a matter of time before I died of exhaustion…”

Zhang Xuan had several ten thousand spirit stones at the moment. It should be sufficient to fuel his breakthrough, but… the spiritual energy contained within these low-tier spirit stones was limited. On top of that, his consumption was extremely great… If he were to go on like that, having to pause his cultivation to replace a broken spirit stone every two breath, it would be incredibly inconvenient!

Who knows how long it would take for him to reach Transcendent Mortal realm if he had to do it that way?

Even if there was sufficient water in a bottle to alleviate one’s thirst, if one could only drink a drop at a time, one would still die of dehydration!

In other words, Zhang Xuan had to find a way to extract the spiritual energy from the spirit stones so that he could cultivate continuously without pause.

“Formations!”

Frowning, an occupation suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

Holding a spirit stone one at a time to cultivate wouldn’t work out at all. There was only one way if Zhang Xuan wanted hundreds or even thousands of spirit stone to provide him spiritual energy simultaneously… Formations!

Back then, after eradicating the Lin Clan, Zhang Xuan had read through several books regarding formations and learned that some of the more formidable Spirit Gathering Formations were capable of extracting spiritual energy from spirit stones and gather them in the area.

If he had this kind of formation, he could simply put spirit stones in it and the spiritual energy within them would be extracted automatically. If so, his cultivation would become much smoother.

“I should go and look for some formations!”

Zhang Xuan stood up.

Along with the rise in his cultivation, his requirement for spiritual energy would increase exponentially as well. Even if he had sufficient spirit stones, cultivation would become terribly inefficient.

Walking out of the room, Zhang Xuan went to look for Hall Master Sai.

“Hall Master Sai, may I know if there is a Formation Master Guild in Honghai City? If so, could you take me over, please?”

Hall Master Sai looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, “As a large commercial city, there’s no reason why Honghai City wouldn’t have a Formation Master Guild. Does Zhang shi intend to purchase formation plates in preparation for the trip to the soul oracle tomb?”

Formation plates were a miniaturization of a formation and could be easily carried around with one. Even if one weren’t a formation master, one could still activate it by infusing one’s zhenqi into it. As such, it was one of the most sought-after product in the Formation Master Guild.

The trip to the soul oracle tomb was filled with dangers. With a formation plate in hand, Zhang Xuan would gain another assurance on his survivability.

“Formation plate? Right, I also wish to see if there’s anything suitable there to buy!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

If he could find a Spirit Gathering Formation plate, he could easily carry it around and use it whenever he needed it. That would surely prove to be convenient.

“I am old buddies with the head of the Formation Master Guild, Guild Master Zheng Jingfeng. He has the highest tiered formation plates in the entire Honghai City. Allow me to take you there, I’m certain I can get you something you’ll be satisfied with!” Hall Master Sai said.

“I’ll be depending on Hall Master Sai then!” Knowing that this was a gesture of goodwill from the other party, Zhang Xuan didn’t turn it down.

Due to the unique role that the Appraiser Hall played in Honghai City, it was located at the center of the various guilds. As such, it wasn’t too far away from the Formation Master Guild. In just ten minutes, they had already arrived at their destination.

Previously, at Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had paid the Formation Master Guild a visit to gather the books contained within. Compared to the magnificent infrastructure standing before him at this very moment, the Tianwu Kingdom felt nothing more than a crude shack.

The gates to the guild were tall and majestic, and an Eight Trigram was imprinted on it, creating a profound and mysterious air to it.

Stepping into the guild, Zhang Xuan immediately felt the air around him change. The temperature was comfortable, the air was slightly moist, and the surroundings was concentrated in spiritual energy. It felt as though one had walked into a garden in spring, and an indescribable sensation of relaxation and tranquility swept over him.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.

It was already late autumn, and winter was able to set in soon. How could this area be warm as though spring?

“The Formation Master Guild has set up a formation here so that it’ll be permanently spring in here…” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s expression, Hall Master Sai understood what Zhang Xuan was thinking of and stroked his beard. “Don’t worry, this formation will only put one in a comfortable position. It doesn’t possess any offense capability so there’s no need to worry!”

“To set up such an elaborate formation just for comfort… As expected of the Formation Master Guild!” Zhang Xuan commented in awe.

To control such a huge formation so precisely such that it was limited to the interiors of the guild was a difficult feat. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Formation Guild was indeed formidable. Just this formation itself was probably grade-3 pinnacle or perhaps even grade-4!

Chapter 479: Give Me a Moment

The vast lounge was filled with a huge crowd walking to and fro. There was a long queue in front of the front counter.

Formation plates, weapon, and pill, these three were known as the necessities for a journey. However, the variety and number of formation plates that the Formation Master Guild sold everyday was limited so there was often a long queue of people hoping to buy just one.

“Paying respects to Hall Master Sai!”

Walking around the crowd, before Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai could reach the reception, a young man had already walked forward to welcome them.

“I have some matters to ask of Guild Leader Zheng, I’ll be troubling you to lead the way.” Hall Master Sai waved his hands.

“My teacher is currently in the midst of inscribing a formation plate. I’ll lead you there now!” The young man smiled and led the way.

Walking along the stairs up to the second floor, it didn’t take long before they arrived at a room. Formation plates of all sizes were placed around the room, and at the very center sat an elder who was busy carving something.

A formation required a formation core and formation flags to be placed in a manner that complemented the geographical terrain to maximize its might. As such, setting one up and activating it were extremely troublesome processes, and only those who were well-versed in it were capable of the feat.

Formation plates were much simpler in comparison. One just had to inscribe a miniaturized version of the formation on the unique round plate, and just by infusing one’s zhenqi into it, one would be able to trigger it.

But formation plates had two major flaws to them.

Firstly, due to its size, it was unable harmonize with the surroundings and thus, it typically only contained around half the might of an ordinary formation.

Secondly, every usage would result in immense damage to the formation plate. As such, it was limited by the number of uses, and while five times was the maximum, it was often the case that the formation plates broke after the first use.

While the flaws couldn’t be said to be insignificant, its benefits still far outweighed its disadvantages. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people queuing up for it.

Its greatest strength lay in that anyone, even those who were completely unknowledgeable in formations, could use it. Secondly, it was convenient to carry around and it could be activated quickly and easily — one just had to infuse zhenqi into it — thus, making it a valuable tool in times to danger.

The elder in the room seemed to be in his sixties but there wasn’t the slightest trace of facial hair on his face. His large hand was holding a small carving knife, and he was carefully carving a plate.

The creation of a formation plate was an extremely complicated process. After all, what one was trying to do was to condense a massive formation into a round plate around the size of one’s palm. The difficulty of the task was obvious with just a single thought. With the slightest mistake, the inscribing process might very possibly end in failure.

Inscribing formation plates was somewhat similar to forging pills. Even 4-star formation masters couldn’t claim to be able to succeed all the time. The creation of every single plate was an extremely effort and time-consuming process.

“Teacher, Hall Master Sai is here!”

Walking into the room, the young man bowed.

Putting down the carving knife, the elder raised his head, looked at his old friend, and smiled. “I’ve always been the one to look for you in the past, what brings you here today?”

“I have something that I have to request of Guild Leader Zheng this time!”

Hall Master Sai nodded before introducing, “This is Zhang shi. He hopes to purchase a formation plate, and after some consideration, I felt that the items you sold here are the most reliable of them all so I brought him over!”

“Zhang shi?”

Guild Leader Zheng stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression.

He knew the temper of this old friend of his very well. The latter was an extremely proud person, and he acted extremely casually even with him. Yet, when the latter was introducing the young man, he spoke with a very grave and earnest tone which left him intrigued.

Taking a closer look, he couldn’t find anything unique about this young man. One thing notable was that he was unable to see through the cultivation of the latter, but even so, given how his actions weren’t aligned with the flow of the world, it was clear he hadn’t reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet.

A young lad who hadn’t reached Transcendent Mortal actually made his old friend act so respectfully?

“May I know what kind of formation plate Zhang shi is looking for? Confinement Formation, Slaughter Formation, Illusion Formation… I’ve a few of those in stock!” Even though Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed, he had only just met the other party and it would be rude to ask of it before him.

“What I wish to find is a… Spirit Gathering Formation!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Spirit Gathering Formation?” Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed. “… There’s no such formation plate. Usually, it’s set up at a certain fixed location…”

Spirit Gathering Formation was mainly used for cultivation, and normally, it would be set up by some influential powers at a specific location to groom their talents. On the other hand, formation plates were often viewed as an offensive or defensive measure.

Thus, very few people would inscribe a Spirit Gathering Formation on a formation plate, and even he, the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild, had never done it before.

In truth, Guild Leader Zheng wasn’t the only one who was surprised. Even Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Hall Master Sai had thought that Zhang shi was buying a formation in preparation for the exploration of the soul oracle tomb. However, from the looks of it now, it didn’t seem like that was the case. After all, what was the use of a Spirit Gathering Location in there? Was he supposed to throw it in to gather ‘spirits’ and capture soul oracles?

“There’s no such item?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

“Indeed. I’ve never drawn it before. If you really require it, I can draw one for you. However, it’ll take some time!” After a moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Zheng said.

The purpose of a Spirit Gathering Formation was to gather spiritual energy. As such, one would be affected by the disturbances in the spiritual energy while inscribing the formation plate. As Guild Leader Zheng had never tried it before, he didn’t dare give his word.

How long will it take?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“This… I’ve never inscribed it before so I might take some time to grasp it properly. At worst, it might take an entire month. However, if no hiccups occur, I should be able to finish it within… half a month!” Guild Leader Zheng said.

“Half a month?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Too long.

He was supposed to meet Luo Zhu tomorrow and set off for the soul oracle tomb. Before that, for his and his students’ safety, he had to at least reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. By the time the formation plate was done, it would already be too late.

“Why? Do you doubt my capability?” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s action of shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng’s face darkened.

Of all things, to be buying a Spirit Gathering Formation formation plate… do you even know the slightest thing about formations? If not for my old friend making this request of me, I’d definitely have thrown you out instantly!

Yet, you still dare to shake your head at me?

“Oh, I’m not saying that you can’t inscribe it!”

Hearing the displeased edge in the other party’s voice, Zhang Xuan realized that the other party was mistaken. Thus, he immediately clarified sheepishly, “It’s just that I think your speed is a little too slow. Half a month… is a little bit too long. I really have urgent use for the formation plate now. If you can finish it within two hours, I’m willing to pay a little more!”

“Too slow? Two hours?”

Guild Leader Zheng’s face immediately steeled. Flinging his sleeves, he bellowed, “Hall Master Sai, is this your guest? I don’t welcome him here! Xiaowu, send our guest out!”

Two hours?

Do you think that inscribing formations can be done as easily as eating or drinking?

Putting aside the Spirit Gathering Formation which he had never inscribed before, even Confinement Formations and Slaughter Formations which he was familiar with would require at least a week time to inscribe. On top of that, that was assuming that his full concentration was into the task such that he didn’t make the slightest error.

Otherwise, even one month would be insufficient to inscribe a single formation plate.

And that was still if he did it himself. If it was a 3-star formation master of the guild, it would take at least half a month to inscribe a single formation plate.

Yet, this fellow wanted it done… within two hours?

Are you here to make a fool out of yourself or are you trying to mock me?

“Yes…” The young man who brought the two of them in walked over and gestured, “This way please!”

In truth, the young man was also dissatisfied with Zhang Xuan’s atittude.

He was a 2-star formation master and inscribing a single formation plate would take him more than a month. Yet, this fellow expected his teacher to finish one within two hours. Clearly, he wasn’t a customer but a troublemaker.

“Guild Leader Zheng, please calm down.”

Not expecting his old friend to chase them away all of a sudden, Hall Master Sai immediately walked up with a flushed face, “Zhang shi is just unfamiliar with formations. In terms of appraising ability, he’s a 5-star appraiser who has passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet. His capability is far above me!”

“5-star appraiser?”

Guild Leader Zheng leaped in shock.

He thought that his old friend was so fearful of Zhang shi due to the latter’s prestigious background. Never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be a 5-star appraiser!

With just this identity, there was no one who would dare to trifle with him in Honghai City. It was no wonder why he dared to spout such arrogant words.

“Un!” Hall Master Sai nodded his head.

While master teachers immersed themselves in multiple occupations, they were, by no means, omniscient. Zhang shi’s words had clearly reflected his position as an amateur in the occupation.

And his guess was right. Even though Zhang Xuan had read through the books in Tianwu Kingdom Formation Master Guild and assimilated them, due to the guild being of too low tiered, there wasn’t much information on formation plates detailed within them. Thus, even though those were basic information, Zhang Xuan was unaware of them.

“Pardon me, I was unaware of Zhang shi’s identity!”

Upon knowing that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, Guild Leader Zheng immediately reined in his previous attitude and bowed respectfully with a clasped fist.

While the ranking of an appraiser didn’t tie in with one’s cultivation, it was still a respected occupation due to its involvement in dealing with precious artifacts. Even as the head of the Formation Master Guild, he didn’t dare to offend the other party easily.

Not to mention, the other party was still a master teacher on top of that.

“You’re being too polite!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands, not paying it any heed. After some contemplation, he asked, “Since it’s impossible to succeed within two hours, may I ask you to sell me a set of Spirit Gathering Formation’s formation flags, core, and blueprint instead?”

Since there was no formation plate to be sold here, he could try doing it himself instead. As long as he had the formation blueprint, flags, and core in possession, it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to succeed.

“Formation blueprint, flags, and core? We do have them but if one isn’t an official formation master, they’ll be completely useless…” Guild Leader Zheng said.

Formations had to be laid out in a way that aligned with the environment. If one didn’t know the slightest thing about formations, it would be useless even if one were to obtain the formation blueprint, flags, and core.

If one could simply forge it with just these three items, they, as formation masters, would have already gone out of business long ago!

“It’ll suffice as long as you sell it to me. I’ll find a way myself after that!” Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan continued.

“This isn’t a problem of whether I am willing to sell or not…”

Seeing the other party insist on the matter, Guild Leader Zheng’s face darkened. He couldn’t help but shake his head.

Why did Hall Master Sai bring such an unreliable lad here?

Formation flag, core, and blueprint were useless in the hands of ordinary people. Furthermore, they were extremely expensive… It was truly a waste of resources in the hands of the other party.

Besides, while I could sell the formation flags and core to you, the blueprint… That is something similar to pill formulas. There are strict rules within the guild, and as long as one isn’t an official formation master, one would be prohibited from looking at it, needless to say, sell it.

From the previous exchange, it was clear that this fellow was a person who didn’t know a thing about formations.

Putting aside selling formation flags and core, formation blueprint… Aren’t you dreaming?

If anyone could simply look at the blueprints and buy them as and when they please, what kind of prestige would the guild retain?

“How about this? If you can set up a formation and prove that you’re an official formation master, I’ll let you see the formation blueprint and record it down. I’ll also sell the formation flags and core to you… But if you can’t do it, you’ll have to drop the matter!”

Shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng gave an ultimatum.

“If I can set up a formation, you’ll sell them to me?” Zhang Xuan stared at the other party.

“That’s right!” Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. Then, a slight frown appeared on his face as he continued, “Why? Is Zhang shi a formation master as well?”

But before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan had already shut his eyes.

“… Give me a moment!”

Chapter 480: Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples

“Give you… a moment?”

Guild Leader Zheng’s body swayed from side to side.

Why did it feel like this fellow didn’t understand human speech?

I asked whether you are a formation master and yet you replied with ‘give me a moment’…

What does that mean?

Do you mean that you aren’t one now, and a moment later you’ll be one?

Aren’t you just pulling my leg?

All of the Upper Nine Paths occupation required one to put in immense effort before one could qualify as a member. Even a genius would require several years of perseverance to succeed.

Yet, this ignorant fellow actually said give him a moment…

Give you a moment for what? For you to embarrass yourself?

Besides… Closing your eyes?

Close your head! What the hell are you up to?

Guild Leader Zheng’s face twitched. If not for the fact that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, he would have surely kicked the other party out already.

“Old Zheng, I think you’d better prepare the set of formation flags and the core!”

Seeing that his old friend was coming to the limit of his tolerance, Hall Master Sai stepped forward and advised.

“Prepare?”

“Indeed. If Zhang shi said so, he must have a plan in mind. Besides, it wouldn’t be too much effort to prepare a set!” Hall Master Sai replied.

He didn’t know where did Zhang shi’s confidence come from, but after witnessing the various miracles the other party had produced, his trust for the other party had nearly reached an unconditional level.

This was a person who could even teach a 4-star master teacher. Somehow, Hall Master Sai didn’t think that it would be surprising if he learned about formations on the spot and succeeded.

“Alright, I’ll believe you this time! Xiaowu, take out the formation flag and core for the Spirit Gathering Formation you have been using to practice over the past few days!”

Seeing the deep trust his old friend had in this young man, Guild Leader Zheng shook his hands in frustration.

“Yes!” The young man flicked his wrist and a bunch of objects appeared on the floor.

Formations were built using formation flag and formation core.

These two were crafted using unique materials. There were differing attributes to them depending on the formation they were used for.

Xiaowu was a 2-star formation master and recently, he had been practicing a graded-2 Spirit Gathering Formation. Thus, he had been keeping a set of it in his storage ring.

After the various objects were taken out, the crowd turned to that fellow, only to see that his eyes were still tightly shut. It was hard to tell what he was doing.

“Could it be that… Zhang shi intends to learn about formation on the spot? But even if he were to learn it right now… he should at least be browsing through books or consulting a teacher. To be standing blankly on the spot, what is he up to?”

Hall Master Sai was perplexed.

The study of formations involved innumerable profound secrets. Thus, it was imperative for one to find a formidable teacher to learn about the basic properties of geography, five elements, yin-yang. This was the first time he had seen someone learning by standing idly with a dazed expression.

But if he wasn’t studying, what else could he be doing?

Everyone was perplexed.

In truth, it was exactly as everyone was thinking. Zhang Xuan was studying formations.

Previously, he had gathered quite a few books on formations in the Library of Heaven’s Path. However, he hadn’t organized and read through them yet.

At this moment, with his attention immersed within the Library of Heaven’s Path, all of the books regarding formation floated before him.

“Compile!”

With a silent mutter, a book with the words ‘Heaven’s Path Formation Art’ appeared before him. He quickly flipped it open.

A vast sea of knowledge came gushing into Zhang Xuan’s mind.

“Since I’ve already assimilated these knowledge, I’m only reorganizing them at this moment. Thus, it’s much simpler and more efficient…”

Previously, back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom, he had used the golden page to assimilate the knowledge of formations, pill forging, medicine… contained within the books he duplicated into the Library of Heaven’s Path. Even though he had never gone through them before, the knowledge was already imprinted in his head.

With this serving as a foundation, learning the Heaven’s Path Formation Art became extremely easy.

Knowledge flowed through his mind, and in just ten breaths, he had already mastered it.

If it was an occupation he was completely ignorant about, it would have taken at least two hours. But with a strong foundation built from the prior knowledge obtained through assimilation, all he had to do was to do was to reorganize the information.

Hu!

Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd.

“Are the formation flag and core here already? Do I set up the formation here?”

“Cough cough…”

Guild Leader Zheng was just waiting to see what intentions the other party had when the other party suddenly opened his eyes and said such words.

Just a moment ago, he was still completely ignorant about formations… And after shutting his eyes for a moment, he wanted to try his hand on setting up a formation already… Fine! I would like to see what kind of formation you set up!

“Since you think you’re ready, you can just set it up here!”

Suppressing his rage, Guild Leader Zheng flung his sleeves and harrumphed.

“Alright!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked over to grab the formation flag and core.

Seeing his actions, putting aside Guild Leader Zheng, even Xiaowu’s face was streaked with dark lines.

The very first step one should do before setting up a formation was to study the surroundings and measure the positioning of the formation. Through this, one would be able to tap into the natural flow to generate energy for the formation. Only then would one set up the formation accordingly to gather that energy. This fellow didn’t even bother taking out his compass to make measurements. The first thing he did was to dive straight at the formation flag, as though a glutton seeing a pile of meat… You call this setting up a formation?

You must be kidding!

Even pigs would be able to fly if you can set up a formation like that.

“Hall Master Sai, what kind of person… did you bring here this time?”

Harrumphing angrily, Hall Master Zheng sent a message to the Hall Master Sai telepathically.

“Zhang shi… is a truly formidable person!” Hall Master Sai replied with a slightly reddened face.

He had only been in contact with this Zhang shi for a few days. From the first time they met at the First Class Pavilion, the other party had barged through the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and nearly tore down the entire Appraiser Hall through that… he even managed to solve the issue of a possession by a soul oracle! Such a talented person shouldn’t do something he was unconfident in. Why did he simply seem so unreliable at this moment?

He knew that there were three things one had to do before setting up a formation. Firstly, one had to take out a compass to measure the magnetic field and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air. Next, one had to measure the size of the formation and deduce the various problems that could occur when the formation fused in with the surroundings so as to make precautions beforehand. Finally, one would calculate the specific locations which the formation core and flags had to be placed at before proceeding on to set up the formation.

Putting aside 1-star and 2-star formation master, even his old friend, the guild leader, had to spend a significant amount of time preparing beforehand. Without an hour or two of preparation, it would be impossible for him to set up a formation successfully.

Furthermore, this was only for the most basic formations. For those that spanned over several hundred meters or even several thousand meters would take at least several years of conception and deduction before there was a possibility of success.

Yet, this fellow… without a compass, without any deduction process, and without examining the grounds, went straight for the formation flag and core…

He was taking this way too lightly!

“Formidable? You call this formidable? Hmph, I don’t care whether he is a 5-star appraiser or not. Later, when he fails, take him away. Our Formation Master Guild doesn’t welcome such a frivolous person!”

Guild Leader Zheng harrumphed.

“This…” Hall Master Sai was placed in an awkward position. Just as he was about to speak in Zhang shi’s stead to salvage his reputation, the voice of the latter echoed.

“Done!”

“Done? What’s done?”

Taken aback, the duo quickly turned their heads over.

The formation flag and core that Zhang Xuan just picked out had been tossed out, and it stabbed upright into the ground not too far away. It was arranged in a very unique position within a circular radius of six to seven-meter.

“Didn’t you ask for a Spirit Gathering Formation? I’ve set up one for you!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Set up one? This is a Spirit Gathering Formation?”

Hall Master Sai looked at the layout before him with a dazed expression.

The positioning of the formation flag and core did resemble a Spirit Gathering Formation…

But he didn’t understand too much about formations so he couldn’t make a clear judgement. As such, he quickly turned his eyes to Guild Leader Zheng.

“You might have gotten the shape but the intent is lacking! You call this a formation?” Flinging his sleeves, Guild Leader Zheng’s eyebrows shot up.

Seeing the other party flying into a rage, Hall Master Sai asked, “Why? Is there a mistake with what Zhang shi set up?”

“Xiaowu, come and give me your evaluation of this formation!”

Instead of replying, Guild Leader Zheng placed his hands behind his back and harrumphed.

“Yes!” The young man, Xiaowu, walked forward.

“The position of the formation core and flag are correct. However… a formation doesn’t work just by following the layout in the blueprint strictly. More importantly, it has to be capable of stimulating the spiritual energy in the environment!”

Xiaowu analyzed confidently.

“Stimulating the spiritual energy in the environment?”

“That’s right!” Flicking his wrist, Xiaowu took out a compass. With that object in hand, his disposition immediately changed. It was a just a moment ago that he seemed like a mere follower but at this instant, he carried the airs of a true formation master.

“Look at what he has set up. There isn’t even the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air at all. In other words, the formation flags aren’t placed in the most accurate positions to complement the environment. Naturally, his formation doesn’t hold any power at all, and this is what we call… an ineffectual formation!”

“Ineffectual formation?”

“Un. Since it’s a Spirit Gathering Formation, it should gather the spiritual energy in the air as soon as it is laid out. The spiritual energy in the air should be drawn in as though a typhoon in the water and gather in this region. But this… the spiritual energy is showing no signs of gathering at all. In other words, he has only emulated the shape of the formation in the blueprint instead of setting up a formation!” Xiaowu said.

Positioning the formation correctly didn’t equate to setting up a formation. Even though it sounded extremely profound and complex, this was actually basic knowledge that all formation masters, even if one was an apprentice, would know.

It was just like how an apothecary wouldn’t necessarily form a pill even if they were to follow the sequence recorded in a pill formula perfectly.

A formation blueprint was just a fixed arrangement. For a formation to work, one had to align it with the environment.

“Well-said! Alright, Zhang shi, in consideration that you’re Hall Master Sai’s friend, I will overlook this farce; you should leave!” Hearing his student’s analysis, Guild Leader Zheng could tell that he had improved significantly during this period of time and he nodded his head in satisfaction.

“Farce? How is this a farce?”

Zhang Xuan didn’t expect the formation that he had set up with such great effort would be considered as a farce.

“Your formation failed to draw in spiritual energy from the surroundings. Shouldn’t this be sufficient to show that your formation is nothing but a farce?” Seeing that the other party refuse to accept his own failure, Guild Leader Zheng was displeased.

“Oh… You mean this. I was afraid that you can’t see it properly so I stopped the formation for the time being!”

Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was referring to something else so he shook his head. Then, he stomped his foot on the ground.

Weng!

A ripple slowly spread out from his feet, striking the formation not too far away. Then, with a slight buzz, the entire formation was immediately shrouded with spiritual energy.

Huhuhu!

The surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward the center of the formation as though pulled in by a hurricane, leaving a sharp pain as it brushed by the faces of the group.

“Th-this…”

It was just a moment ago that Xiaowu was gleefully pointing out the other party’s errors. Upon seeing this sight, he was shocked to the point that his lower jaw was about to fall to the ground.

“This is… [Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples]. Even though it doesn’t disturb the environment, it causes a huge uproar when activated… a perfect formation? H-how is this possible?”

Guild Leader Zheng shrieked hoarsely.

He stared at Zhang Xuan in shock, as though he was looking at a monster.

Chapter 481: Challenging the Sea of Formations

“Perfect formation?” Seeing his old friend losing his composure, Hall Master Sai was baffled.

He had heard of Confinement Formation, Illusion Formation, Beguilement Formation, Spirit Gathering Formation… But he had never heard of a perfect formation before.

“Just like with painting and pills, there are different tiers to a completed formation as well. Even when setting up the same formation, how can the might of a formation set up 2-star formation master compare to that of a 5-star formation master?”

Suppressing his confusion, Guild Leader Zheng began to explain.

Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Even with formation plates of the same grade, everyone hoped to buy one inscribed by a higher ranked formation master as their craft tended to be more stable and powerful.

The same applied for pills as well. Those forged by higher ranked apothecaries tended to be of higher quality and thus, possessed greater medicinal effectiveness.

“The difference between formations mainly lies in how much they complement the environment and how much energy they can borrow from the surroundings!”

Seeing the incomprehension on Hall Master Sai’s face, Guild Leader Zheng explained, “Formations that reach a synchronization rate of twenty percent with the environment are termed as Initiate. A formation of this level can be successfully activated to do whatever it is intended to do. Only when one can prepare a formation of this level can one be considered an official formation master.

“At a synchronization rate of forty percent, the formation will be able to borrow a portion of the energy from the surroundings to augment the might of the formation. At this level, one’s understanding of the formation can be considered to have reached intermediate-tier. As a 4-star formation master, I can still easily reach this level when setting up a grade-2 formation.

“Going on, at a synchronization rate of sixty percent, the environment and formation can be considered to be complementing one another already. This is also what we call a high-tier formation. Occasionally, while I am setting up a grade-1 formation, I can reach this level…

“Then, at a synchronization rate of eighty percent, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the environment is what that is driving the formation. Just like conscious Spirit tools, a formation of this level is able to tap into the natural energy contained in the surroundings to create hurricanes, storm, trap beings, and leave them in distress.”

After saying that, Guild Leader Zheng’s lips turned pale. “Even if you can break out of a formation, can you break out of your environment?”

Hall Master Sai was stunned.

One can walk out of a formation, a room, a courtyard… But everywhere one stood was the environment, so how could one walk out of it? How could one overcome it?

Upon comprehending this level, even formation masters would find it hard to break out of the formation once trapped

“Wait a moment…”

Upon recalling something, Hall Master Sai’s body trembled and his eyes widened in round circles. He stared at Guild Leader Zheng in disbelief and asked, “That’s just a synchronization rate of eighty percent… What about a hundred percent?”

“Indeed, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. It’s known as the… perfect formation!”

There was a slight quiver to Guild Leader Zheng’s voice as he said, “It perfectly harmonizes with one’s environment such that when it’s in a dormant state, it won’t cause any disturbances to the surroundings, thus giving rise to the term ‘Absence of Ripples’. However, the moment it is triggered, the environment will be completely changed. The formation will become the environment, and the environment is the formation… Try thinking about it, how can cultivating in a Spirit Gathering Formation compare up to cultivating in a natural environment?”

It was just like an air-conditioner. No matter how comfortable the temperature was, it still couldn’t compare to the warmth of spring.

“Using just formation flags and core to change the environment, legend has it that only formation masters of 6-star and above are capable of such a feat…”

At this point, even Guild Leader Zheng himself was in disbelief.

A while ago, this fellow before him didn’t even know that Spirit Gathering Formation plates didn’t exist in the Formation Master Guild and yet, in the next moment, he set up a formation that only 6-star formation masters were capable of, a perfect formation…

Am I insane or is the world going mad?

There had never been such a happening in the history of the guild!

Perplexed, the voice of the young man sounded, “You can sell the Spirit Gathering Formation flags, core, and blueprint to me now, right?”

The formation that Zhang Xuan had just prepared was the most basic type of Spirit Gathering Formation. It wasn’t capable of extracting spiritual energy from the spirit stones to fuel his consumption. To do so, a formation of at least grade-4 was required.

“Of course…”

Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head stiffly.

If a person who was capable of forging a perfect formation was unqualified to purchase those items, then wasn’t him even more unqualified?

“May I know… what is Zhang shi’s formation master rank?” After agreeing to the matter, Guild Leader Zheng hesitated for a short moment before asking.

While it was a known fact that only 6-star formation masters were capable of preparing a perfect grade-2 formation, some of the top-notch geniuses were able to do so as well. The person before him hadn’t even reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet so clearly, it was impossible for his to rank to be too high. Even so, he wanted to know the other party’s exact ranking so as to determine how he should treat him.

“Formation master? I’ve never taken the examination before so I can’t be considered as one…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It was just a moment ago that he started learning about it so naturally, he had never taken any examination of that sort before.

“You aren’t a formation master?” Guild Leader Zheng’s mouth twitched and his body swayed feebly.

Putting aside how other party was able to set up the formation so swiftly, the formation even reached such a high tier… And yet, the other party wasn’t even an official formation master? Where in the world did this monster come from?

He was a 4-star pinnacle formation master, but in terms of speed, he couldn’t match up to the other party at all. And naturally, he couldn’t prepare a perfect formation either.

“May I know if… Zhang shi is willing to participate in our guild’s examination?”

A thought flashed through Guild Leader Zheng’s mind and his eyes lit up in desire.

There were countless branches under a headquarters. If the other party were to take the examination here, he would be considered as a genius of Honghai City. If the headquarters were to hear of it, they would definitely reward the Honghai City Formation Master Guild handsomely.

“Sure!” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

It didn’t matter to him where he took the examination. In any case, to advance through the ranks of a master teacher, he needed more supporting occupations. Formation master was considered as one of the most influential occupations of the Upper Nine Paths. It would be for the best if he could become an official member of this group.

“Great! I’ll make preparations now then…”

Upon hearing the other party agree to it, Guild Leader Zheng smiled in excitement. “As for the Spirit Gathering Formation’s formation flags, core, and blueprint, once you pass the examination, there will be no need for you to buy them. I can simply give you a set!”

The Formation Master Guild operated in a similar manner to the Apothecary Guild — it was extremely difficult for a low-ranked member to access content beyond their level. He would have to clear many authorizations first.

However, if one’s rank had reached the prerequisite, one could take it away straight even without payment.

“Alright!” Upon hearing that he could be spared from his expenses, Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded his head.

Even though he wasn’t lacking in spirit stones now, he felt that he should save as much as possible especially since he would require a humongous amount of spirit stone to achieve breakthroughs. Several ten thousand spirit stones might be a huge fortune to other cultivators, but to him, it might not even be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan.

Thus, he felt that he should save as much of it as possible.

“What is the format of the formation master examination?” Zhang Xuan asked.

He felt that he should at least ask properly before taking the examination.

Just like the master teacher examination, there were many variations to the formation master examination. Depending on the branch itself, the requirements may differ.

It was just like how in Tianwu Kingdom, the examination content to becoming a 1-star formation master was to successfully set up a grade-1 formation. As a prosperous city of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the examination here might be slightly different.

“The examination of our branch is indeed slightly unique as compared to the other branch. It is slightly more difficult, and it is known as the… Sea of Formations!” Guild Leader Zheng said.

“Sea of Formations?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

“Un. The Sea of Formations refers to the multitude of formation that countless formation masters of the guild have left behind throughout the years. Upon entering it, one could meet with a formation of any kind. The condition for success is to break out of the formation one is trapped in. There is a total of four stages and each stage corresponds to formations of grade-1 to grade-4 respectively. If one passes the first stage, one will be qualified as a 1-star formation master, and if one passes the second stage, one will be qualified as a 2-star formation master… so on and so forth!” Guild Leader Zheng explained.

“I see, that’s indeed more difficult than setting up formations!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Setting up a formation and breaking out a formation was just like ascending and descending from a mountain.

It was easy to ascend a mountain, but descending a mountain was fraught with many difficulties.

While setting up a formation, one just had to identify the correct attributes and position the formation accurately in order to succeed. But to break out of a formation… considering that one would be within the formation, it would be hard for one to get an overview of the situation to discern the type of formation. If one were to make a lapse of judgement, it would be extremely easy for one to make a fatal mistake.

“It’s indeed a little difficult. However, if one possesses a deep understanding of formations, it won’t be a problem at all!” Guild Leader Zheng chuckled.

“Oh?”

“Even though there are innumerable formations contained within the Sea of Formations, if one can accurately determine the type, name, and life gate of the formation quickly, breaking out of it would be much easier than setting up a formation. But regardless of which examination it is, be it the setting up of a formation or the Sea of Formations, one has to possess an in-depth understanding of formations first. Otherwise, it will be impossible for one to pass the tests!”

After explaining, Guild Leader Zheng looked at the young man before him and said, “Since Zhang shi has never taken the formation master examination before, you should start from the grade-1 formations to get used to it first. This way, you can accumulate some experience such that you won’t panic when meeting with formations of higher grades.”

Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he asked, “But before that, I would like to pay a visit to the library!”

Even the most formidable formation that he had gathered via the Library of Heaven’s Path was only of grade-2 at the moment. If he wanted to go further in the examination, he would have to browse through more books.

“You wish to browse through some books? That’s fine as well. Xiaowu, take Zhang shi to the library. It has been long since anyone has challenged the fourth stage of the Sea of Formations so it’ll require some preparation time anyway!”

Guild Leader Zheng chuckled.

He didn’t think about the other party’s request to browse through books much.

It was natural for formation masters to request for access to books to enhance their knowledge. He also frequented the library himself to look up unique formations so as to expand his horizons.

“Yes!” The young man Xiaowu nodded.

“Zhang shi…”

Zhang Xuan was led away by the young man, leaving Hall Master Sai standing in a daze on the spot with widened eyes.

Weren’t you here to buy formation plates? How did it turn into you taking the formation master examination?

That was an Upper Nine Paths occupation, one of the top occupations of the continent. To take the examination so abruptly… It was almost like how he challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets previously…

“Old Zheng, how far do you think… Zhang shi can go in the examination?”

He couldn’t help but turn to Guild Leader Zheng.

“I have no idea how many stages he can clear but given how he’s able to set up a perfect 2-star Spirit Gathering Formation so easily, his understanding of formations can only be above mine. In other words, even at worst, he’s at least of 4-star pinnacle or perhaps… even 5-star!” Guild Leader Zheng said with a grim expression.

“4-star pinnacle? 5-star?” Hall Master Sai was shocked.

When he first met Zhang shi, he only thought that the other party was formidable in appraising, but even so, that was more than sufficient to awe him. Never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be so knowledgeable in formations as well, to the extent of surpassing even his old friend.

To possess such knowledge and capability at his age… How in the world did he manage to do it?

“That’s right. However, the Sea of Formations isn’t easy. It’ll be hard for those inexperienced to pass the examination. All I hope is for him to clear more stages so that another genius can rise from our branch!”

Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head.

“Clear more stages…”

As he replied, Hall Master Sai’s mouth suddenly twitched. A thought popped into his mind.

If this fellow were to challenge the Sea of Formations, would it end up… just like the Appraiser Hall? Would he cause chaos in the Formation Master Guild as well?

Chapter 482: The Fearsome Illusion Formation

The books in the Formation Master Guild were significantly fewer than that of the Appraiser Hall. Almost seventy percent of the books were for 2-star formation masters and below. Having completely comprehended that level, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to go through those books once more.

As such, it didn’t take him long to collect the books. In just two hours, he already had all of them duplicated in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

With this collection, he had sufficient books to form Heaven’s Path Formation Art 3-dan and 4-dan.

Another two hours passed, and he finally managed to master them. Rubbing his glabella wearily, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

Having collected so many books and cultivated 2 dans of the Heaven’s Path Formation Art, even though his cultivation had already reached Half-Transcension, he still felt slightly faint-headed and his face was ghastly pale.

But still, his hard work had brought him great benefits.

In terms of knowledge on formation, he still might not be a match for Guild Leader Zheng, but in terms of setting up formations, the latter was definitely far from a match for him.

More importantly…

“So, this is what inscribing a formation plate means. Inscribing a Spirit Gathering Formation sure isn’t easy…”

With a deep understanding of formation plates, Zhang Xuan finally understood why Guild Leader Zheng flew into a rage when he told him to finish it within two hours.

Crafting a formation plate was equivalent to carving a massive formation onto a place the size of a palm. Furthermore, it had to be aligned with the environment. As such, the difficulty of the matter was extremely great.

This was especially so for Spirit Gathering Formations. The timing of half a month that the other party gave was actually truly the fastest speed possible already.

“It’s true that using ordinary means to inscribe a formation plate will be difficult. However, if I were to use the Heaven’s Path Formation Art to do so, it would be much easier!”

Ordinary formations had to follow the blueprint strictly and ensure that the layout was aligned with the environment, thus making the process incredibly complex and troublesome. A single wrong mark could potentially result in the formation being ruined.

On the other hand, the Heaven’s Path Formation Art emphasized on continuity and smooth flow instead. There was more flexibility in it.

Thus, using the Heaven’s Path Formation Art to inscribe the same blueprint would be many times simpler than using ordinary means.

“The preparation of the Sea of Formations should be ready by now. I should go over and take a look!”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided to put aside the matter regarding the formation plate for the moment and walked out of the library.

Now that he had assimilated the books within the library, his understanding of formations had deepened. It was time for him to try out the Sea of Formations and become an official formation master.

…

“The Sea of Formations is just a name. Rather than an actual sea, it’s just a long corridor. It is located at the third floor of the Formation Master Guild, and countless formations are set up in the area. As long as one walks into the area, one will be at risk of being confined, beguiled, and even… dying!

“That is because… there are all kinds of formation in there, and that includes Slaughter Formations as well.

“But there’s no need for you to worry. Every single examinee will be given a formation amulet. When you meet with true danger, you just have to crush it and the formation will immediately come to a halt!”

At the long corridor of the Sea of Formations, a young man gestured to the surroundings as he explained the entire proceedings to his two juniors.

The three of them had come from the same teacher. It was the first time the two juniors behind was taking the formation master examination whereas the senior in front was here to take his 2-star examination.

At this moment, the two juniors were slightly nervous. Their lips had turned white and their palms were soaked with sweat.

“There’s no need to worry. I’ll pass the first stage later on to give you all a demonstration of the happenings inside. Remember, the formation which one will undergo is completely random so my experience is only for reference purposes. You mustn’t deal with it the exact same way as I did… Do you understand?” the senior said.

“Senior, rest assured. We’ll pay some attention to it!”

“Let’s pass the examination so as to not let teacher down!”

The two juniors behind clenched their fists tightly.

“Good. I’ll demonstrate the examination to you all now. Take note, regardless of which formation you meet with, don’t be too anxious to get through with it. You must analyze it calmly as only then will you find the life gate and break out from it!”

Seeing the humility of his juniors, the senior nodded his head in satisfaction. After which, he turned around and began walking over to the long corridor of the Sea of Formations.

Weng!

As soon as he stepped in, mist immediately appeared. A formation had been activated, trapping the senior entirely.

The first stage of the Sea of Formations, a grade-1 formation!

“That wall…” The duo turned to look at the wall by the side.

By the side of the corridor, there was a wall made of special crystal which showed the situation of the one challenging the examination clearly.

Their senior’s figure was currently reflected on the wall, and at this moment, he was observing the situation around him with his eyebrows knitted together.

In order to break out of the formation, one had to decipher the formation first. One had to know what kind of formation it was, where the ‘life gate’, ‘death gate’, and weakest link were… If one couldn’t find these, one would never be able to break out of the formation regardless of how strong one was.

Hu!

A compass appeared in the senior’s palm and he studied it intently with a lowered gaze. After which, he took three steps left and three steps right, trying to test the formation’s reaction.

A short period of time later, his eyes suddenly lit up, as though having discovered something. Chuckling lightly, he started walking toward a direction at which he had decided upon.

At the same moment, he gathered strength in his palm and struck out.

Hu!

A buzzing sound echoed and the mist disappeared. A figure appeared before the duo again—it was their senior.

“Did you see that? This is the first stage. As long as you analyze it carefully and determine the origin of the flow of spiritual energy, as well as the various changes that occurs with your movements, you’ll be able to deduce what kind of formation it is, confirm your current location and find the life gate… And just like that, you’ll be able to break out of the formation!”

After clearing the first stage, the senior didn’t proceed straight on to the second stage. Instead, he turned around and explained the various happenings to the duo.

He was here to take the 2-star formation master examination. The 1-star examination didn’t pose much of a challenge to him anymore, and the only reason he took it was just to give a demonstration to his juniors, as well as to calm their nerves.

“Yes!”

The two juniors nodded their heads.

There wasn’t anything wrong with the words of their senior, but the situation was very different when one was trapped in a formation. The surroundings would be completely different — there would be no point of reference and it would be extremely easy for one to get lost. The most one could do was to analyze the flow of spiritual energy. Determining what kind of formation one was trapped in and where one was positioned within the formation would be extremely difficult.

There were more than several thousand types of grade-1 Confinement Formation. The same type of formation could be divided into several hundreds of sub-types. If one didn’t possess vast understanding of formations, deciphering and escaping from it would be nigh impossible.

“Alright, I’m going to challenge the second stage now. Regardless of whether I succeed or not, you all should try to look properly and learn from my experience!”

Saying so, the senior took a deep breath and his gaze turned grave.

As a 1-star pinnacle formation master, he was more than confident in clearing the first stage. However, the second stage would be difficult for him.

Hu!

Stepping forward, the formation within the second stage was immediately activated. Just like before, a figure appeared on the wall by the side.

“Why isn’t senior moving at all?”

Turning their gazes over, the two juniors soon realized that the movements of their senior had been peculiar ever since he stepped into the second stage.

Previously, he immediately took out the compass and began walking around to analyze the formation. But now, it seemed as though he was in a daze, not moving at all.

The white-robed junior suddenly thought of something and asked, “Crap, it couldn’t be an Illusion Formation, could it?”

“Illusion Formation?” The green-robed junior’s eyes widened in shock.

An Illusion Formation interfered with one’s psyche directly. As soon as the formation was triggered, those within would be plunged into a scenario that the formation master had prepared beforehand, leaving them unable to collect themselves. As such, it was more feared than Confinement Formations.

Confinement Formations were similar to a cage in the sense that even though one might be unable to escape, one was at least able to retain their thoughts and consciousness. However, in an Illusion Formation, one’s thoughts would be forced to wander, and at that moment, one would forget even one’s own name and purpose. Under such circumstances, there wasn’t the slightest possibility of escape.

Hu hu hu!

Just as the duo was in doubt, the pale face of their senior in the formation gradually grew more and more savage. His zhenqi grew erratic, and he randomly struck out at thin air, as though a lunatic.

Pu!

After a period of time, it seemed like his zhenqi had been fully expended and he spewed a mouthful of blood. Only then did he regain his consciousness and hurriedly crush the jade token in his hand.

The mist disappeared and he appeared before his two juniors once more. However, this time, his face was withered.

The second stage, failed!

“Senior…”

The senior’s confident disposition from before had disappeared without a trace. Instead, as he walked over, he looked like a defeated rooster. His two juniors felt even more flustered.

“It’s normal to fail when challenging the Sea of Formations. I can only say my luck is bad for having triggered an Illusion Formation…”

Swallowing a pill, the senior’s complexion improved slightly. Turning to his two juniors, he smiled awkwardly.

“Indeed, Illusion Formations are simply too difficult…” the green-robed junior said.

“If only it was a Confinement Formation, senior would have definitely passed and become a 2-star formation master…” The white-robed junior said.

“Indeed! If it was a Confinement Formation, I’m confident that I would have cleared the stage!”

Seeing that the admiration his two juniors had for him didn’t falter in the least, the senior heaved a sigh of relief. “I’ve done some research on the matter, and for the past decade, there was a total of 88 challengers for the 2-star formation master examination. Of that, there were 22 times that an Illusion Formation was triggered… but there wasn’t a single person who cleared the stage in those 22 times! Those who cleared the examination were mainly those who faced Confinement Formation and Beguilement Formation.”

“What about Slaughter Foramtion?”

“Slaugher Formation?” The senior shook his head. “That’s even more impossible to clear. A single wrong move would spell death. It is already a blessing if one can survive within it, lest be said, escape from it…”

“It’s that difficult?”

Upon learning how scary Slaughter Formations were, the two juniors began to tense up once more.

“Let me tell you honestly, no one has ever succeeded with an Illusion Formation or a Slaughter Formation before. Later on, when you enter, as soon as you realize that something is amiss, it’s best that you crush the jade token immediately. There’s no point struggling needlessly!”

The senior instructed grimly.

“Yes!”

The two juniors nodded their heads. “Rest assured, senior. If we encounter an Illusion Formation or a Slaughter Formation, we’ll give up immediately! Since even you are unable to clear them, how could others possibly succeed? At the very least, I doubt that anyone in this guild would be able to do it…”

Just as the duo was complimenting their talented senior, at the entrance of the corridor of the Sea of Formations, a young man walked over lazily.

The young man looked younger than them, probably below twenty. His eyes were reddened with blood vessels, and it looked as though he hadn’t slept for several days consecutively. Exhaustion was the only thing one could see from his face.

“Who is this fellow? Why haven’t I seen him before?”

The trio was taken aback.

They had been in the Formation Master Guild for a minimum five years by now, and there wasn’t a single apprentice or formation master that they didn’t recognize. But that young man in front was completely unfamiliar to them.

“He’s probably some apprentice who have just joined… With just one look, it’s clear that his mental fortitude is lacking. He probably hasn’t slept for several days due to anxiety for the examination, that’s why he’s in such a state!”

“Indeed! Even his eyes are red. To think that the Sea of Formations could scare someone to this extent!”

The two juniors sneered.

They were embarrassed over their previous anxiety, but this fellow topped them on it. His clothes were unkempt and his posture was slackened. With just one look, it was clear that he hadn’t slept for several nights out fear.

“What’s wrong with the guild? Isn’t there a limited number of slots every year for those taking the examination? How can a person like him challenge the Sea of Formations as well?”

The senior frowned as well.

Chapter 483: Kick (1)

Clearing the Sea of Formations would make one an official formation master, but not everyone was qualified to challenge it. One had to make a request beforehand and the guild leader had to approve it personally. After which, it had to be discussed upon during the conference of the elders, and a selection process would be conducted… And on top of that, one had to pay an exorbitant fee as well.

Since this fellow was here, he must have obtained an approval beforehand. When did the guild fall to such a level… that even a person with such poor mental fortitude could take on the examination as well?

It was one thing for him to be deprived of sleep, but more importantly, what that displeased him was the attitude of this fellow when facing the Sea of Formations!

There wasn’t a single person who came to take the examination that didn’t carry fear and respect for it. In a sense, this could be considered as one’s respect for the occupation as well. Yet, this fellow was behaving so casually here. Was he that confident in the examination?

Disgusted, the senior instructed, “Let him go first. You can learn from his counter example when he fails!”

“Yes!” The two juniors nodded their head with a gleeful expression on their faces.

They didn’t carry any doubt that this fellow would definitely fail.

The young man who had left the trio speechless was Zhang Xuan, who had rushed here from the library.

After reading books for such a long period of time and mastering two dans of the Heaven’s Path Formation Art, it would be a miracle if he wasn’t slightly withered.

Thus, as he walked over to the Sea of Formations, he adjusted his breathing to rid himself of his fatigue. Before long, he arrived before the trio.

Noticing that the gazes of the trio were on him, Zhang Xuan asked them doubtfully, “Are you all here to challenge the Sea of Formations as well?”

“We’re still conditioning ourselves. If you wish to go first, feel free!”

Seeing how that fellow didn’t carry the slightest respect in his tone when facing an official formation master, the senior flung his sleeves and harrumphed.

“Oh. Since you all aren’t in a hurry, I won’t stand on ceremony then!”

It had been awhile since he had arrived at the Formation Master Guild, and Zhang Xuan was in a hurry. Since the other party was willing to allow him to go first, Zhang Xuan chose to not turn the offer down. With a smile, he nodded his head and walked in.

“To go in without any preparation… Isn’t he taking this too lightly?”

Seeing how the other party didn’t try to push the offer or even look at them before rushing straight into the Sea of Formations, the trio felt as though their vision was spinning.

That was the Sea of Formations! There was no formation master who didn’t feel fear for it! To charge right in without even claiming the jade token to stop the formation, wasn’t he being too brazen?

“He’s just asking for trouble! Even senior was unable to clear it easily and yet this fellow dares to charge in without preparation. What else can this be other than courting death!”

The green-robed junior harrumphed.

“Indeed. I bet that he’ll be trapped in the first stage. By then, he will understand how fearsome formations are…”

The white-robed junior smirked.

Weng!

At that moment, the young man walked into the corridor, triggering the formations.

A mist slowly rose, shrouding his figure. At the same time, the young man’s figure appeared on the wall beside.

Wuwuwuwu!

Spiritual energy flowed in the surroundings of the young man as though billowing clouds, sealing off his five senses entirely, leaving him incapable of discerning directions at all.

“It’s a Confinement Formation! Given how concentrated the white mist of spiritual energy is and how fast it is flowing, if I’m not mistaken, he must have activated the [Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation]!” The senior recognized the formation.

When one was trapped in a formation, one had to use a compass to determine one’s location and analyze the spiritual energy flow to determine the type of formation. But when spectating from the outside, one could easily deduce the type of the formation through its physical properties. This was much more efficient and accurate than the former.

As the saying goes, ‘it is the passersby who sees things clearly.’

“Cloud Ocean Confinement Ocean? That is the most complex formation among the grade-1 formations, and it is the hardest to deal with as well!”

“That formation seals all of one’s senses, leaving one unable to determine anything at all. Even if one could use a compass to discern one’s location, if one can’t accurately decipher the formation, it’ll be hard to escape from it!”

They didn’t expect this fellow’s luck to be that bad. To think that he would meet with such a formidable Confinement Formation as soon as he entered. The two juniors shook their heads in sympathy.

Even if he was lacking in capability, if he were to meet with an easy formation, he might still be able to clear it. However, having encountered such a formidable Confinement Formation, he could only raise his hands to surrender.

“See. Even if you meet with a Confinement Formation, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can break out of it. Thus, you must be on your toes at all times and, by no means, should you underestimate the formation you are in. You mustn’t be like this arrogant and ignorant fellow. He’s just looking for trouble…”

Seeing how that fellow inside didn’t even bother taking out a compass, the senior shook his head, turned to his two juniors, and advised them.

However, before he could finish his words, his two juniors widened their eyes simultaneously, and their faces starting twitching violently.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing the two of them lose their composure, the senior frowned, “Teacher has already told you that before challenging the Sea of Formations, you must focus your attention and avoid getting arrogant or anxious. Look at what state you are in, how do you expect to succeed like that?”

“That’s not it, senior. Look…”

With a reddened face, the green-robed junior hurriedly pointed to the front.

“What’s there to make a fuss about? Isn’t he just trapped in the Confinement Formation? Don’t worry, if he isn’t out within two hours, the formation will dispel itself automatically. This is just a Confinement Formation; his life isn’t at risk…”

Harrumphing, the senior turned around and his latter words immediately jammed in his throat. His body stiffened and his lower jaw fell to the ground. “What?”

He thought that what he would see was a helpless young man trapped in a Confinement Formation, but contrary to his expectation, the young man was standing quietly not too far away, shaking his head calmly.

And the mist that had shrouded around him had disappeared without a trace. In other words, the Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation which had left him fearful… had already been broken!

To stop the formation entirely…

I thought you wouldn’t be able to overcome it?

Even if you have the capability to do so, surely you don’t have to be so fast?

You didn’t even bother taking out the compass or discern the flow of spiritual energy, and yet, in the time that I was lecturing my two juniors, the formation was already gone…

Do you need to be so extreme?

“What just happened?” Frenzied, the senior hurriedly asked.

“We also… didn’t see it carefully. We only saw him kicking the formation… the-then… it simply disappeared!” the green-robed junior said.

“It disappeared with a kick? What in the world are you talking about?” The senior’s face darkened.

I’m asking you how the other party overcame the formation and you’re telling me that he kicked it?

Kick your head!

Do you think that a formation is a living being that will stop with a single kick? If that is true, then we, formation masters, would have long gone out of business!

This occupation wouldn’t have been the dreams and fears of so many people.

“It was really just a kick…”

With his mouth twitching violently, the green-robed junior protested. He was already nearly on the verge of tears.

He had seen with his own eyes that the other party sent a kick at the formation and it immediately stopped…

But how could a grade-1 pinnacle Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation be broken so easily?

“It was indeed just one kick…” The white-robed junior nodded his head in a daze.

“Even he saw it, I’m not mistaken…” Upon seeing his fellow peer confirming his words, the green-robed junior ascertained that he wasn’t insane and hurriedly nodded his head.

“Kick?” The senior felt frenzied.

Your heads must be the one that was kicked for you all to say such ridiculous words!

Formations are intangible… Do you think it makes sense for them to be kicked?

“Enough. Regardless of whatever method he used, it’s just the first stage so it’s still within an acceptable difficulty range. I don’t think he’ll be able to do it as easily for the latter stages!”

Seeing that his two juniors were getting incoherent, the senior waved his hands and looked at the young man in front intently.

Since he missed it previously, he was determined not to miss the other party’s actions this time. He had to get to the bottom of the matter and see what method that fellow used to break out of the formation.

After all, it hadn’t been too long since his juniors started learning about formations. It was possible that they were deceived by some bizarre method used by the other party, thus missing the true way.

Hu!

Thus, he gathered his attention to look at the young man. As expected, the young man who just escaped from the Cloud Ocean Confinement Formation didn’t just stop right there. He proceeded on to the next stage.

Weng!

Soon, he came into contact with the formations of the second stage and a white mist rose up, shrouding the young man once more.

“It’s an… Illusion Formation!” The senior narrowed his eyes.

After being plunged into an Illusion Formation a moment ago, he was already rather fearful of it. Judging from the type of mist and the movement of the spiritual energy, he immediately deduced that the fellow had met with one, and from the looks of it, it didn’t seem at all inferior to the Illusion Formation he encountered previously!

“Illusion Formation?”

His two juniors were stunned. Sympathy immediately appeared on their faces.

Honestly speaking, this fellow was truly unlucky. He met with such a formidable Confinement Formation in his very first stage so they thought that perhaps, his luck might be better in the second stage. Yet, he met with the Illusion Formation which their senior failed at.

“That’s right. In the formation, the clear air is rising while the turbid air is sinking. The collision of the two produces a unique moaning sound which will cause those hearing it to suffer from hallucinations! That was precisely how I unwittingly fell under the illusion previously!” the senior said with a grim expression.

Even now, when he recalled the experience from before, he couldn’t help but feel fearful.

As soon as he stepped into the formation, before he could even react, the unique sound reached his ear and assaulted his psyche, causing his consciousness to become fuzzy.

For a moment, he was completely helpless and defenseless.

If not for his body being jolted due to the depletion of his zhenqi, he would’ve probably been unable to pull himself out from the illusions.

“It’s that fearsome?”

The white-robed junior narrowed his eyes. “Doesn’t that mean that… he has no chance of succeeding at all?”

“Breaking out of an Illusion Formation requires one to have high mental fortitude. If one’s mental fortitude doesn’t reach a certain level, it’ll be very difficult to escape from it. Given how he isn’t even twenty, even if he started cultivating from a very young age, how strong can his mental fortitude be? Even I have failed, lest be said, him!”

The senior shook his head.

He didn’t see how that fellow had passed, but it showed that the other party possessed a certain level of aptitude in formations. However… Illusion Formations were simply too difficult.

It wasn’t just about one’s comprehension of formations. More importantly, it was about one’s mental fortitude.

If one couldn’t maintain a calm and impervious mind, it was very easy for to get confused and lost, thus resulting in one’s inability to pull out from the illusions.

In order to deal with illusions, he had undergone tough training for countless months but even so, he still failed in an instant. He found it hard to believe that a young lad who wasn’t even twenty yet could do better than him.

“Look, he’s starting to kick around randomly as well… The heck!”

Previously, when he succumbed to the Illusion Formation, he also began striking out randomly. This fellow was starting to show the same symptoms as well.

However, before he could finish his words, his body suddenly trembled violently.

As soon as the young man’s leg kicked out, the corridor which was filled with mist suddenly cleared up.

The formation… had been broken again!