Chapter 497: Perfect Fusion, Not a Ripple on the Water

"Wait... a moment?" His body swayed. He felt as if he'd just encountered someone who couldn't communicate clearly.

"I asked if you were a formation master, and you simply replied, 'Wait a moment'… What was that supposed to mean? Did it imply he wasn't one *now*, but would become one in a moment? Was this supposed to be a joke?"

A formation master was one of the top nine professions, requiring immense dedication and the study of countless mysteries. Even the most brilliant genius couldn't succeed without years of continuous, rigorous study. This fellow, who clearly knew nothing, wanted a moment's wait… Wait for what? For him to finish his joke?

And then... he closed his eyes? With a blank expression. "Blank my face indeed!" he thought. "What in the world are you doing?"

President Zheng's face twitched. Had he not known the man was a five-star appraiser, he would have surely kicked him out by now.

"Old Zheng, I suggest you prepare a set of formation flags and bases!" Seeing his old friend on the verge of losing his temper, Master Sai stepped forward.

"Prepare?"

"Yes," Master Sai replied. "Since Master Zhang said it, he must have a reason. Preparing won't hurt."

Though he didn't know the source of Master Zhang's confidence, he had witnessed the young man's various methods and found himself with an inexplicable trust in him. This was someone who could even casually lecture a four-star master teacher; if Master Zhang claimed he could learn on the spot and deploy a formation, Master Sai would believe him.

"Alright, I'll trust you this once! Xiao Wu, bring over the set of Spirit Gathering Formation flags and bases you've been practicing with these past few days!" Seeing his old friend's unwavering belief in the young man, President Zheng waved a hand, a hint of annoyance in his gesture.

"Yes, sir!" The young man flicked his wrist, and a pile of items appeared on the ground.

Formations were comprised of two main components: formation bases and formation flags. Both were crafted from special materials, possessing unique attributes tailored to different types of formations. The young man, a two-star formation master, had recently been studying how to deploy a two-star Spirit Gathering Formation, and thus conveniently had a complete set of flags and bases.

Once the items were brought over, everyone looked towards the man nearby, only to find him still standing with his eyes closed, seemingly doing nothing.

"Could it be… Master Zhang intends to learn formation arts on the spot? But even if he were to learn right now, he should be reading books or consulting a teacher, not just standing there blankly. What is he doing?" Master Sai was also filled with doubts.

Learning formation arts involved countless mysteries. One typically began by apprenticing with a formidable teacher, then progressed from fundamental concepts like topography, landforms, the Five Elements, and the principles of Yin and Yang. Standing still with closed eyes and a blank expression, as he was, was utterly unprecedented. But if he wasn't studying, what exactly was he doing?

Confusion etched on everyone's faces, yet at that very moment, Zhang Xuan was indeed learning formation arts, precisely as they had speculated.

Although he had previously gathered numerous books on formation masters, he hadn't properly studied or organized the knowledge for this particular profession. Immersing his consciousness, he mentally accessed the collection of books on formation arts. "Correct!" he murmured. A Heaven's Path book titled "Heaven's Path Formation Arts" materialized before his inner eye, and he casually flipped it open. A torrent of knowledge surged into his mind.

"I already possess this knowledge, so reviewing it will be much simpler…" Back in Tianwu Kingdom, he had utilized the golden page to absorb a vast array of information, including formation arts, alchemy, and medicine. Though he hadn't formally studied these subjects, much of the foundational knowledge was already ingrained in his mind, as if he had diligently studied them for years.

With this foundation, learning Heaven's Path Formation Arts now became incredibly straightforward. The knowledge flowed through his mind, and within mere dozens of breaths, he had completely assimilated it. For a profession he hadn't previously touched, it would likely take at least an hour to master, but with the information already present in his memory, simply needing reorganization, the process was simplified immeasurably.

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and looked at the group. "Are the formation flags here? Are we setting up the formation right here?"

"Cough, cough…" Just as he was wondering what the man intended, he saw him open his eyes and speak, causing President Zheng to choke on his own saliva. The man had just seemed utterly clueless about forming an array… then he closed his eyes for a moment, and now he was going to deploy one? "Fine," President Zheng thought, "I'd like to see what kind of formation you can possibly set up!"

"Since you believe you can, set it up right here!" Suppressing the anger in his chest, he flicked his sleeve and huffed, his face livid.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded and walked towards the formation flags and bases lying on the ground.

Witnessing his actions, not just President Zheng, but even young Xiao Wu, were utterly dumbfounded. Deploying a formation first required meticulous observation of the environment, precise measurement of directions, generating power based on the terrain, and gathering energy according to the method. This man, however, examined nothing, didn't even produce a compass, and went straight for the formation flags as if a hungry person had just spotted a pile of fatty meat… Was *this* what he called setting up a formation? What kind of joke was this? If he could deploy a formation like that, then pigs could fly!

"Master Sai, just who… who exactly is this person you've brought?" President Zheng snorted, transmitting his voice directly.

"Master Zhang… he's still very formidable!" Master Sai's face flushed slightly. He had only known Master Zhang for a few days, having met him while purchasing items at the First Grade Pavilion, where he had broken the Flowing Stream Challenge, nearly dismantling the entire Appraisal Pavilion. He could even resolve witch soul possessions. Logically, a person of such exceptional talent shouldn't engage in uncertain endeavors, yet at this moment, Master Sai couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt.

He had witnessed formation masters deploy arrays numerous times, a process typically divided into three steps: First, drawing out a compass to survey the surrounding magnetic fields and spiritual energy concentrations. Second, calculating the formation's scale and anticipating potential scenarios once integrated with the environment, then devising preemptive measures and responses. Third, meticulously measuring the exact placement points for the formation bases and flags before commencing the actual deployment.

Each deployment, even for one-star or two-star formation masters, let alone his old friend President Zheng, required considerable preparation time; achieving success in less than half an hour, or even an hour, was nearly impossible. Furthermore, this applied to the simplest formations. For grand arrays spanning hundreds or thousands of meters, success was virtually unattainable without years of deduction and planning. Yet this man… no compass, no calculations, no observation — he simply grabbed the flags and bases. It truly seemed like child's play.

"Formidable? You call this formidable? Hmph, I don't care if he's a five-star appraiser. In a moment, you can just take him away. The Formation Master Guild does not welcome such frivolous individuals!" President Zheng huffed.

"This…" Master Sai felt awkward, about to offer a few words of explanation to save Master Zhang's reputation, when the latter's calm voice suddenly broke the silence. "Done!"

"Done? What's done?" Startled, he quickly turned his head to look.

He saw that the formation bases and flags Zhang Xuan had just picked up had already been thrown out, each piercing straight into the ground nearby, arranged in a peculiar pattern that formed a circle approximately six or seven meters in diameter.

"Didn't you want a Spirit Gathering Formation set up? I just deployed one!" Zhang Xuan looked over at them.

"Deployed one? *This* is a Spirit Gathering Formation?" Master Sai stared blankly at the arrangement. The placement of the flags and bases did bear a slight resemblance to a Spirit Gathering Formation… However, knowing little about formation arts himself, he quickly turned to President Zheng.

"It possesses merely the form, but utterly lacks the essence! You call *this* a formation?" President Zheng scoffed, flicking his sleeve and raising an eyebrow.

"What? Is Master Zhang's placement incorrect?" Master Sai asked, noting President Zheng's anger.

"Xiao Wu, you explain!" President Zheng said with a huff, his hands clasped behind his back, opting not to answer directly.

"Yes, sir!" Young Xiao Wu stepped forward. "The placement of the formation bases and flags he used is relatively correct, but… a formation isn't merely about strict adherence to a diagram. More importantly, it's about influencing and changing the spiritual energy!"

A look of confidence appeared on Xiao Wu's face. "Influencing spiritual energy changes?"

"Precisely!" With a flick of his wrist, Xiao Wu produced a compass. The moment it was in his hand, his entire aura shifted; he no longer seemed like a mere attendant, but rather a genuine formation master.

"Look at the formation he's deployed; there's absolutely no change in the surrounding spiritual energy. This means the formation flags haven't been embedded in their precise locations, nor have they integrated with the environment. Consequently, it possesses no power whatsoever—it's what we call a… 'dud formation!'"

"A dud formation?"

"Indeed. As a Spirit Gathering Formation, its purpose is to collect spiritual energy. Once deployed, it should act like a whirlpool in a stream, constantly drawing spiritual energy inward from its surroundings. But with this… there's no sign of the spiritual energy converging. In other words, he merely arranged the pattern correctly; he didn't actually deploy a functional formation!"

Xiao Wu continued, "Arranging a diagram correctly isn't the same as deploying a functional formation." This might sound profound, but in truth, every formation master, even an apprentice, understood this principle. It was akin to an alchemist knowing the precise sequence of herbs: that knowledge alone didn't guarantee the creation of a successful pill. The diagram was merely a fixed arrangement; for a formation to be truly effective, it had to be integrated with its environment.

"Well said!" Seeing his student's coherent analysis and recognizing his recent significant progress, President Zheng nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, Master Zhang, out of respect for Master Sai, I won't dwell on this farce. You may leave now!"

"Farce? How was I being farcical?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback, surprised that the formation he had meticulously deployed was deemed a farce in their eyes.

"Your formation hasn't drawn any spiritual energy and is utterly useless; what else would you call it but a farce?" Seeing that he still wouldn't admit it, President Zheng grew even more displeased.

"Oh… you mean that," Zhang Xuan said, shaking his head. "I merely paused the formation for a moment earlier, fearing you wouldn't perceive it clearly." Thinking that's what they meant, he stomped his foot on the ground. A ripple spread outwards from beneath him, striking the formation nearby. With a resounding hum, the array before them was instantly enveloped in spiritual energy. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* The surrounding spiritual energy immediately began to converge towards the center like a hurricane, blasting their faces with a sharp, stinging sensation.

"Th-this…" Xiao Wu, who moments ago had been so smug, articulating his seemingly logical assessment, froze on the spot, his tongue almost tied in knots from sheer shock.

"This is… perfect integration, creating no ripples, yet capable of astonishing power upon activation… a flawless formation? Th-this is impossible!" President Zheng shrieked, his voice hoarse. He stared unblinkingly at Zhang Xuan, as if he had just witnessed a monstrous impossibility.