Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Chapter 523 The First Sound of a Hundred Arts

"Congratulations, Fairy Li, on your mastery of alchemy and successful advancement." Just then, a gentle voice came from the side.

Everyone turned to look and saw several cultivators dressed in different sects' robes, but all exuding a peaceful aura, walking over. The leader bowed to Li Xiaocao and smiled.

Judging from their clothing and insignia, they seem to belong to a small sect known for its supplementary cultivation of Taoist alchemy.

"It was just luck; I don't deserve to be called a fairy," Li Xiaocao quickly returned the greeting, somewhat embarrassed.

"You are too modest, Fairy Li. We just watched you refine pills, and your technique was exquisite, producing pills of extremely high quality, which is truly admirable. I wonder if you have any unique insights into the relationship between 'Cold Jade' and 'Jade Marrow Grass'? If you would be so kind as to ask, could we exchange some ideas later?" The cultivator was polite and sincere, clearly genuinely seeking guidance.

Li Xiaocao looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo nodded slightly.

"I wouldn't presume to call this an exchange; let's learn from each other," Li Xiaocao said to the cultivator.

Similar situations occurred several more times in the following moments. These were all from small and medium-sized sects or independent alchemists who were impressed by Li Xiaocao's performance and came to befriend him or seek his guidance.

Although the presence of alchemists from major sects is not yet visible, this respect and recognition is the first tangible reputation that Qingyun Sect has earned through its skills at this conference.

Shen Mo looked at Li Xiaocao, who was surrounded by several alchemists, her face slightly flushed but earnestly answering their questions, and his smile deepened.

The first attempt at alchemy brought fame to the humble herb.

Li Xiaocao's victory in the first round of the "Alchemy Showdown" had not yet completely subsided when the ripples caused by her success in the T-zone moved to the preliminary selection venue for the "Mysterious Array Path"—the "Heavenly Evolution Platform".

Unlike the fragrant herbs and lively atmosphere of the "Hundred Herbs Garden", the atmosphere of Tianyan Terrace is more solemn and serene.

The massive platform is paved with dark gray "spirit-suppressing stones" engraved with basic array patterns, and the platform is divided into hundreds of independent square areas by arrays.

Some areas are answering tables with floating light screens, while others are filled with sand tables, array flags, various spirit stones, and tools for drawing array patterns.

At this moment, hundreds of array masters have gathered here, some standing in deep thought, others exchanging whispers, and the air is filled with an invisible pressure that belongs to precise calculation and logical deduction.

Those who have made it this far are all disciples of various sects who have made achievements in the art of formations. Most of them have cultivation levels above the late Foundation Establishment stage, and there are quite a few formation masters at the Golden Core stage.

Holding the silver jade tablet, Zhao Qingyan located the corresponding "Xuanzi Nine" area. She took a deep breath, suppressing the joy and excitement that welled up in her heart because of Li Xiaocao's success, and her eyes became clear and focused again.

The Way of Formations is her Way, and it allows no distractions whatsoever.

"Thump!"

The sound of jade chimes signaled the start of the preliminary selection. The first round was a written test with a time limit of half an hour. On the huge light screen in the center of the Heavenly Evolution Platform, a dense array of questions, numbering in the thousands, instantly appeared.

The range of questions is extremely broad, covering basic array pattern analysis, ancient array identification, array evolution deduction, array breaking strategies, spiritual power node calculation, compatibility of complex arrays, and so on. Among them are some extremely obscure and rare questions, and even some questions involving ancient array concepts that have long been lost.

Almost as soon as the question appeared, hundreds of array masters immediately sat down at their respective answering tables, some concentrating on deduction, others quickly using their divine sense to inscribe the answers on specially made jade plates.

The rustling of writing and the flashes of inspiration formed the only background noise in this area.

Zhao Qingyan also sat down. Instead of rushing to write, she quickly glanced through the outline of the questions scrolling on the screen.

Countless runes and deductive patterns were reflected in his cool, clear eyes; his brain, like the most intricate array, began to operate at high speed.

She first quickly answered the most basic and familiar questions to solidify her confidence. When faced with those obscure and difficult questions, she remained calm, rapidly recalling the concepts of "source," "flow," "change," and "balance" that she had gleaned from the "Yuanhai Daojing" over the years. Combining these with the supreme artistic conception of the "Liangyi Weichen Array," which embodies all things and endless vitality, she could often find the key to solving the problem from another perspective.

Although the "Two Elements Dust Array" itself is unfathomable, it contains many fundamental array concepts, such as the balance of Yin and Yang.

Her understanding of the essence of formations, including the flow of the five elements and the connection of qi, far surpasses that of her peers.

Her fingers moved lightly across the jade plate, and the answers drawn by her divine sense were clear and accurate. She even left concise deductions and notes of thought next to some questions, showing that she was very skilled.

In the spectator area, Shen Mo and the others watched quietly. A huge light screen displayed the rankings of the top 100 participants with the fastest answering progress in real time.

At first, Zhao Qingyan's name did not appear, but as time went by, her name emerged like a dragon rising from the depths of the water, quickly climbing from outside the top 100 to 80, 60, 40—and finally, halfway through the written test, she steadily entered the top 30, and fluctuated slightly around the 25th position.

"Qingyan is amazing!" Atu exclaimed in a low voice, looking at the screen. "She answered so many questions so quickly!"

"Qingyan's understanding of formations goes far beyond books and traditions," Wang Hu said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with admiration. "She views formations through the lens of 'the Dao,' naturally gaining a profound and comprehensive understanding."

Although Shi Tie knew nothing about formations, he was still thrilled watching, grinning and saying, "The disciples of our Qingyun Sect are amazing! Their alchemy is amazing, and their formation-setting is amazing too!"

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. The jade chime rang again, signaling the end of the written test. The final rankings on the screen were displayed, with Zhao Qingyan placing twenty-eighth.

This ranking is already among the top tier of hundreds of elite array masters, especially considering her relatively young age and background that she did not come from a prestigious array family, making it even more remarkable.

Zhao Qingyan calmly walked out of the written test area, her face showing little joy, but her eyes were brighter and sharper, as if her spirit had become more refined after the intense mental training she had just undergone.

After a short rest, she took a "heart-clearing pill" prepared in advance by Li Xiaocao, and then faced the second round of practical assessment.

The practical requirement is to set up a small composite array within one hour using the limited materials provided (a few basic array flags, more than ten low-grade spirit stones, and some guiding spirit powder) that has both "trapping enemies" and "early warning" functions. After completion, the array must withstand the "breaking the array" test issued by the judges, which simulates three strikes from a Golden Core cultivator in the early stage.

The materials were ordinary, the time was tight, but the requirements were high. Many array masters fell into deep thought after receiving the materials, or began to race against time to inscribe array patterns.

Zhao Qingyan did not act immediately. She first carefully examined each material, sensing the spiritual energy properties contained within them and the affinity between them.

Then, she closed her eyes and quickly deduced several possible combinations of formations in her mind.

Ultimately, she chose a different approach—instead of using the conventional "trapping array" superimposed with the "early warning array," she attempted to construct a small-scale cycle centered on the most basic "yin-yang rotation and qi sensing" of the "two-dimensional dust array."

She opened her eyes, her ten fingers moving nimbly like butterflies flitting among flowers, and began to quickly draw basic array patterns on the ground. Her movements were not the fastest in the entire arena, but every step was extremely precise and stable, the lines of the array patterns were smooth and natural, and the spiritual energy nodes were arranged just right, with a subtle, natural rhythm.

She cleverly embedded the warning runes into the key nodes of the Yin-Yang flow, so that once the formation is triggered by external energy, the warning mechanism will be automatically activated, and at the same time, the "Yin" power that traps the enemy will be strengthened, forming a linkage.

The "yang side" is responsible for maintaining the overall stability of the formation and the circulation of spiritual energy.

This approach breaks free from the conventional constraints of complex formations, embodying a higher-level concept that views formations as an organic whole.