Taming Beasts and Cultivating Immortality from Two Realms

Chapter 126 Breaking the Formation
Realizing he had become the center of attention, Chen Beiwu calmly replied, "Confirmed."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingxue, the female cultivator in palace attire, glanced back and forth between Chen Beiwu and Zhou Quan, a strange look appearing in her eyes.

what's the situation?
How come Senior Brother Chen is repairing the damaged formation even faster than Senior Brother Zhou!
You should know that Senior Brother Zhou is a second-tier low-grade array master.

Could there be something fishy going on?
'This is too outrageous.' Zi Ling pursed her lips, finding it hard to accept reality.

Like her senior brother Chen, she was also a first-tier array master, and she considered herself quite accomplished in the art of array formations, otherwise she wouldn't have thought of joining the Array Formation Hall.

But the assessment has only been going on for a quarter of an hour.

While she was immersed in the profound mysteries of the array's patterns, Senior Brother Chen had already finished repairing the array. What incredible speed!

The burly man remained silent, his gaze fixed on Master Yun.

A first-tier array master couldn't possibly repair a damaged array that quickly.

He believed that Chen Zi'ang was deliberately trying to attract the attention of Master Yun.

Because of his status as a disciple of Chen Zi'ang's main lineage, he dared not speak his mind, lest he offend someone.

But Master Yun is different.

As a true disciple of the sect and the head of the Array Hall, Yun Yishu holds a high position and great power. She cannot tolerate the slightest imperfection and will surely rebuke Chen Ziang for such pretentious behavior.

Zhou Quan took a deep breath and looked at Master Yun with a feigned calm expression.

His thoughts were similar to those of the burly man.

For array masters, repairing an unknown and damaged array is a time-consuming and laborious task that requires four steps to complete.

The first step is to observe the formation. The formation master needs to analyze the attributes, type, origin and specific effects of the incomplete formation in order to have a clear understanding of it.

The second step is to observe the patterns. The array master needs to use their divine sense to explore the subtle details and find the known basic array patterns in the incomplete array.

The third step is to fill in the patterns. The array master can fill in and redraw the known array patterns based on the relationship between the principles of array attributes and the basic array patterns.

The fourth step is deduction, which is the most crucial and difficult step, testing the array master's ability to deduce with their spiritual sense and their foundation in array principles.

Even if some half-baked array masters can find the array pattern structure, they cannot deduce the flow trajectory of the array plate's magic power, the five elements, and the key nodes of the array pivot, let alone complete the repair of the array.

The assessment has only been going on for less than a quarter of an hour, and as a second-tier low-grade array master, he has only reached the second step of the incomplete array repair: observing the patterns.

To complete the next two steps, he would need at least half an incense stick's time.

Chen Ziang was only a first-tier array master. Even with his extraordinary background and profound foundation in array techniques, it was impossible for him to accomplish such a feat in such a short time.

"Let me see." Yun Yishu looked at him with great interest.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ying handed over the array plate that Chen Beiwu had repaired with both hands.

'Interesting, a genius in array formations!'

After examining the [Water Binding and Killing Array] array plate in her hand, Yun Yishu's eyes brightened slightly.

The standard answer to the first test is simple: the array master inscribes the array pivot in the 'Kan San Dui Wu' area of ​​the array plate, and then repairs the complete basic array patterns to pass smoothly.

But Junior Brother Chen's answer was completely different; his array pivot had one more element than the standard answer.

If a rigid, second-tier array master with shallow array skills were in charge of this assessment, they would most likely think that Junior Brother Chen was gilding the lily.

The added array hub makes the flow of magic power and the combination structure of array patterns of the [Entangling Water Binding Kill Array] even more complex.

But Yun Yishu immediately saw the benefits of such an inscribed formation.

"Congratulations on joining the Array Hall, Junior Brother Chen," she said approvingly.

Chen Beiwu smiled modestly, but he wasn't surprised at all.

If he can pass the first-tier array master certification of the Immortal Alliance, he can naturally pass the array test as well.

The remaining four cultivators were all startled and quickened their pace.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Quan was the second to complete the assessment.

"It's acceptable." Yun Yishu glanced at the array plate casually.

Zhou Quan's method of repairing the damaged array was standard and unremarkable. Normally, she would likely offer words of encouragement and express her hope for future improvement.

But I am afraid of comparison in everything.

With Junior Brother Chen's outstanding performance as an example, she had no interest in mentoring a second-tier array master with decent talent.

Soon, as time passed, the third cultivator to complete the assessment was Zi Ling, followed by Zhao Qingxue.

As for that burly man, he failed to repair the damaged array even after the sandalwood incense burned out, becoming the only cultivator to be eliminated.

Ignoring her companion's disappointment, Zhao Qingxue couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Hall Master Yun, may I observe Senior Brother Chen's array plate?"

Upon hearing this, the remaining three all turned their gazes toward Yun Yishu.

"Junior Brother Chen, what do you think?" Yun Yishu asked Chen Beiwu for his opinion.

"Okay." Chen Beiwu nodded.

“You may observe Junior Brother Chen’s inscription style, but it is best not to imitate it.”

As a reminder, Yun Yishu handed the array plate to Zhao Qingxue.

"hiss!"

As soon as he got his hands on it, the latter couldn't help but gasp.

"What's wrong?" Zi Ling leaned closer.

"Wow, that's amazing! Senior Brother Chen repaired two key points of the array, while I only found one," Zhao Qingxue exclaimed.

"Can you show it to me?"

Upon hearing the two women's praise, Zhou Quan couldn't sit still any longer.

"Of course, Senior Brother Zhou."

Although Zhao Qingxue felt a little reluctant, she didn't want to embarrass a Foundation Establishment cultivator in public.

"Great!"

After examining the formation, Zhou Quan couldn't help but exhale a breath of stale air, becoming even more convinced of his suspicions.

Chen Zi'ang's cultivation level was only at the Qi Refining stage. The fact that he was able to complete the assessment first meant that either someone had leaked the questions to him, or he had previously come into contact with this incomplete formation.

Otherwise, there's no way to explain why he would lose to a first-tier array master.

Seemingly sensing Zhou Quan's thoughts, Yun Yishu smiled.

"Congratulations on joining the Array Hall. To determine everyone's annual salary, the second test is to break the array. Xiaoying, you can begin setting up the array."

“Yes.” Sun Ying nodded and took out a set of second-tier array plates from her storage ring.

"A qualified array master can both repair damaged arrays and break arrays."

Next, I will set up a second-tier high-grade maze array. Any cultivator who can break through the array within a quarter of an hour will receive an annual stipend of one thousand contribution points.

"For every quarter of an hour or more it takes to break the formation, the annual salary of the Formation Hall will be reduced by three hundred. And so on, the annual salary of a cultivator who breaks the formation within four quarters of an hour will be one hundred contribution points."

At this point, Sun Ying paused slightly, "If it exceeds four quarters of an hour, you can only receive an annual salary of eighty contribution points."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned solemn, except for Chen Beiwu, who looked relaxed.

He had already achieved his goal, and if he weren't afraid of standing out and attracting attention, he might not even have had to participate in the second round of assessments.

"Who is willing to be the first to enter the fray?" Sun Ying asked.

Zhou Quan replied without hesitation, "I'll do it."

Unlike repairing a damaged formation, breaking a formation tests the formation master's comprehensive abilities, such as the ability to observe subtle signs and discern the situation, the ability to deduce with divine sense, and the ability to think and act.

If he wanted to win the favor of Master Yun, he couldn't let a mere Qi Refining kid steal the show; he had to be the first to make a strong impression.

(End of this chapter)