Chapter 499: Terrifying Illusion Array

The Formation Master Guild had fewer books than the Appraisal Hall. More than seventy percent of these books were for Two-star Formation Masters and below, which he had already fully understood, making them optional reading.

Collecting them was simple; it only took about an hour to commit them all to memory.

With enough books, he was able to form the third and fourth levels of the Heaven's Path Formation again.

An hour later, he had mastered them completely. Zhang Xuan rubbed his slightly weary brow and exhaled deeply.

Rapidly absorbing so many books and consecutively learning two levels of the Heaven's Path Formation left him feeling dizzy and pale, despite having reached the Half-Step Grandmaster realm.

However, the effort was well worth it.

In terms of theoretical knowledge of formations, he might not yet surpass the former President Zheng. However, when it came to actually setting up formations, President Zheng would be no match for him.

More importantly...

"So this is what engraving a formation disk entails. The Spirit Gathering Formation is indeed quite difficult..."

He now had a deeper understanding of formation disks, realizing why asking President Zheng to complete one within an hour had angered him so much.

Engraving a grand formation onto a palm-sized disk, while also integrating it with the environment, was incredibly difficult.

The Spirit Gathering Formation, which gathered spiritual energy and protected against impacts, was particularly challenging to engrave compared to other formations. The claim that it would take half a month was indeed the fastest possible time.

"However, while engraving a formation disk with conventional methods is indeed difficult, it would be considerably simpler using the techniques described in the Heaven's Path Formation!"

Conventional formations demanded strict adherence to diagrams and seamless integration with the environment, a cumbersome process where a single erroneous stroke could cause the entire grand formation to collapse and become useless.

The Heaven's Path Formation, conversely, emphasized coherence, smooth energy flow, and the profound simplicity of the Grand Dao.

Engraving the same formation using the Heaven's Path methods would be several times simpler than traditional techniques.

"The Formation Sea should be ready. I'll go check it out!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan left the library, no longer preoccupied with the formation disk issue.

Having completed his studies and gained a deeper understanding of formations, it was time to try the so-called Formation Sea and, while there, take the Formation Master examination.

"The Formation Sea is merely a name, not an actual ocean. It's a corridor located on the third floor of the Formation Master Guild, filled with countless formations. Once you enter, you face constant risks of being trapped, disoriented by illusions, or even... death!"

"This is because all types of formations are present, including deadly killing formations."

"But don't worry, each examinee will carry a life-saving formation talisman. Should you face genuine mortal danger from which you cannot escape, simply crush it, and the formation will automatically cease its attack."

At the entrance to the Formation Sea corridor, a young man surveyed his surroundings before instructing his two junior disciples.

All three had been taught by the same master. The two younger disciples were taking the Formation Master exam for the first time, while their senior was attempting the Two-star examination.

The two junior disciples were noticeably nervous, their lips pale and their palms slick with sweat.

"Don't be nervous. In a moment, I'll walk through the first stage to give you an idea. Remember, the formations everyone experiences are random and not identical. My experience is only for reference, not for direct replication... Understand?" the senior disciple said.

"Don't worry, Senior. We'll be careful!"

"We'll do our best to pass the first stage and not disappoint our master!"

The two junior disciples behind him clenched their fists.

"Excellent. Now I'll proceed to show you. Remember, no matter what formation you encounter, do not act rashly or anxiously. You must calmly analyze to find the 'gate of life' and break through decisively!"

Seeing their humble demeanor, the senior disciple nodded with satisfaction. He then turned and strode towards the Formation Sea corridor.

The moment he stepped inside, a mist immediately appeared, and formations materialized before him, trapping him completely.

The first stage of the Formation Sea: a Level 1 formation!

"That wall..." Both disciples looked towards it at the same time.

One wall of the corridor was crafted from special crystal, clearly reflecting the progress of the challenger.

The senior disciple's reflection on the wall showed him observing his surroundings with furrowed brows.

To break a formation, one must first identify its type, locate its 'gate of life' and 'gate of death,' and pinpoint its weaknesses. Without this information, even immense power would be useless.

The senior disciple produced a compass from his palm and peered at it. He took three steps to the left, then three steps to the right, cautiously probing the formation's reactions as he advanced.

After some time, his eyes suddenly lit up. He seemed to have discovered something, smiled faintly, and confidently strode in a specific direction.

Simultaneously, he channeled power into his palm and struck forward.

With a rumble, the mist vanished, and the figure of the senior disciple reappeared before them.

"See? That was the first stage. As long as you analyze carefully, pinpoint the source and flow of spiritual energy, and observe how it changes when interacted with, you can deduce the formation's type. Then, determine your position and locate the 'gate of life'... and the formation will easily be broken!"

After passing the first stage, the senior disciple didn't proceed to the second. Instead, he turned and further explained things to his two juniors.

He was there to test for a Two-star Formation Master; the One-star examination was already second nature to him. His demonstration was merely to ease the pressure on his junior disciples.

"Understood!"

The two junior disciples nodded in unison.

Despite his words, being trapped in a formation where everything looks identical, with no reference points, made it easy to lose one's bearings. Even with a compass, one could only analyze the flow of spiritual energy, not confirm their exact location or the precise type of formation they were ensnared by.

There were thousands of types of Level 1 trapping formations, each with hundreds of subtle variations. Without an exceptionally profound understanding of formations, breaking free would be utterly impossible.

"Alright, I'm going to attempt the second stage now. Whether I succeed or fail, you should both observe and learn from the experience!"

Having explained, he took a deep breath, and the senior disciple's gaze grew serious.

As a peak One-star Formation Master, he was fully confident about the first stage, but the second presented a much greater challenge.

He stepped forward again, activating the second stage's formation, and at that very moment, his shadow appeared on the crystal wall.

"Why isn't Senior Brother moving?"

Both disciples looked over and noticed that, upon entering the second stage, the senior disciple's actions were distinctly different from before.

Previously, he had used his compass to search around and identify the formation type. This time, however, he stood perfectly still, as if frozen.

"Oh no, could it be an illusion formation?" the junior disciple in white robes exclaimed, having a sudden realization.

"An illusion formation?" The junior disciple in green robes' eyes widened.

Illusion formations disrupt the mind. Once inside, a person becomes deeply engrossed in a pre-arranged scenario, unable to escape. They are far more terrifying than trapping formations.

Trapping formations are like cages; while one knows they are imprisoned, at least their mind remains clear and undisturbed. But in an illusion formation, the mind wanders, unaware of one's identity or location, making escape impossible even if desired.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

As the two watched in confusion, the senior disciple's face within the formation turned grotesque and bloodless. His true qi boiled as he thrashed wildly, appearing utterly insane.

After an unknown duration, his true qi seemed to be nearly depleted. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, finally regaining consciousness, and hastily crushed the jade token in his hand.

The mist vanished, and he reappeared before the two disciples, looking utterly dejected.

He had failed the second stage!

"Senior..."

Watching him approach, devoid of his previous spirited demeanor and resembling a defeated rooster, the two junior disciples grew even more anxious.

"Failing the Formation Sea is common. You could just say I had bad luck and activated an illusion formation..."

He swallowed a pill, and his complexion regained some color. Looking at his two junior disciples, the young man gave an awkward smile.

"Yes, illusion formations are simply too difficult," said the junior disciple in green robes.

"If it had been a trapping formation, Senior would surely have passed and become a Two-star Formation Master..." said the junior disciple in white robes.

"If it had been a trapping formation, I would indeed have been confident of passing!"

Seeing that his two junior disciples still admired him, the senior disciple breathed a sigh of relief. "I've reviewed the statistics," he said. "In the past ten years, eighty-eight candidates attempted the Two-star Formation Master exam. Illusion formations appeared twenty-two times... and not a single person passed! Those who succeeded mostly encountered trapping or maze formations."

"What if you encounter a killing formation?"

"A killing formation?" The senior disciple shook his head. "Don't even dream of success then. Once you step in, one wrong move means death. Forget breaking the formation; merely surviving is a feat..."

"That difficult? Does that mean no one can pass?"

Hearing how terrifying killing formations were, the two junior disciples tensed up again.

"To be honest, almost no one succeeds in the Formation Sea if they encounter a killing or a trapping formation. Soon, when you go in, if you sense anything amiss, it's best to immediately crush your jade talisman. Don't engage in futile struggles!" the senior disciple instructed with a solemn expression.

"Understood!"

The two junior disciples nodded in unison. "Don't worry, Senior," they said, "if we encounter a killing formation or an illusion formation, we'll immediately turn back! If even you couldn't pass, who else could? It would be nearly impossible for anyone in this guild to complete it..."

As the two were praising their talented senior disciple, a young man ambled lazily towards the entrance of the Formation Sea corridor.

This individual appeared even younger than them, likely under twenty. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept for days, and he exuded an air of profound exhaustion.

"Who is this person? Why have we never seen him?"

All three were momentarily stunned.

They had been with their master and at the Formation Master Guild for at least five years. They recognized every apprentice and Formation Master, but the person before them was a complete stranger.

"He's probably an apprentice who just appeared from somewhere... One look tells you his mental fortitude is weak. He's likely been so terrified that he hasn't slept for days, which explains his current state!"

"Indeed, his eyes are red-rimmed. To be so frightened by the Formation Sea is quite peculiar!"

Both junior disciples scoffed at the same time.

They had just felt embarrassed by their own nervousness, but this fellow was worse. Look at his disheveled clothes and listless posture. He must have been too terrified to sleep for nights, resulting in his pathetic appearance.

"What's going on with the Guild? Aren't there limited spots each year? How can someone like this even be allowed to challenge the Formation Sea?"

The senior disciple also frowned.