Chapter 502: 准 Four-Star Array Master

"Foot?" President Zheng and Wang Haoxun froze simultaneously, utterly bewildered. Was there a formation-breaking method called "foot"?

"Yes, from the first to the fourth stage, he defeated each formation with a single kick, and then... he passed!" the senior student explained.

"One kick each? Do you mean... he used his foot to break the formations?" President Zheng and Wang Haoxun nearly spat blood on the spot.

"Yes!" The senior student nodded.

The two four-star formation masters exchanged glances, utterly baffled. "There's such a method to break formations? We've never heard of it!"

"The senior student is right," two junior students interjected, stepping forward to corroborate the story. They spoke up, seeing that the president and the teacher were skeptical. "He did indeed defeat each formation with a single kick; we both witnessed it firsthand."

"Was he just very lucky, and the formations he encountered were relatively simple and superficial?" Wang Haoxun couldn't help but ask, realizing that everyone's consistent testimony probably meant it wasn't a lie. When challenging the Formation Ocean, the activated formations are random, so luck plays a significant role. Could it be that he encountered only the weakest formations of their respective levels, making them relatively easy to overcome, which explains his swift passage through four stages without any hesitation?

"Lucky?" The three students simultaneously winced. "We've never seen anyone so *unlucky*! In the first stage, he encountered the Cloud Sea Confinement Formation; the second was an Illusion Formation; and the third, the Azure Phoenix Flying Flower Formation..."

"The Cloud Sea Confinement Formation? An Illusion Formation?" "The Azure Phoenix Flying Flower Formation?" Just hearing the names of the first three nearly made the two four-star formation masters stumble to the ground.

These were among the most formidable formations of their respective levels. For one person to encounter all of them consecutively—was it true? How much bad luck could one possibly have to be so unfortunate? More importantly, how could he pass through these formations so quickly? He even had time to damage the main formation that sustained the guild's operations...

"What was the fourth stage?" President Zheng hurriedly looked over. Could the fourth stage have been simpler?

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be...!" the senior student said.

"The Drunken Heart Bewilderment and Slaughter Formation... a peak four-star formation combining a bewildering array and a killing array?" President Zheng gasped in disbelief. He had thought that after such bad luck in the first three stages, the last one might be simpler. He never imagined it would be this! This was absolutely considered the most terrifying formation in the Formation Ocean. Ordinary formations were usually single-purpose—either bewildering, illusionary, killing, or confinement arrays. However, this one uniquely combined a bewildering array and a killing array into a single, terrifying entity. In other words, once you were trapped, it would first disorient you, and then... eliminate you.

Even he would have found it difficult to survive such a terrifying formation, yet the young man was not only unharmed but had also broken the formation and, incidentally... damaged the guild's main array. How could he be so ruthless?

"Yes," the senior student explained. "After he entered the formation, I saw his consciousness affected and thought he wouldn't be able to break it. But then... with two consecutive kicks, the Drunken Heart Bewilderment and Slaughter Formation collapsed. Immediately after that... the main array sustaining the guild also broke, making it impossible to continue the assessment. So, we had no choice but to leave."

"A peak four-star, even a five-star formation, can be broken with a kick?" President Zheng and Wang Haoxun felt their entire worldview and values shatter.

Sai Gezhu, on the side, also covered his forehead. He had initially thought that Master Zhang's arrival would bring some peace, unlike the 'Flowing Goblets and Winding Water' event, which was overly dramatic... Clearly, that thought had been too naive. It seemed this fellow was never content unless he caused a stir wherever he went!

While some were stunned and others harbored silent grievances, the subject of their thoughts, the young man himself, emerged from the long corridor.

In truth, Zhang Xuan was feeling a little nervous at this moment. The first three stages had been incredibly simple for him; he didn't even need the Library of Heaven's Path. With a glance from his Eye of Insight, he could easily pinpoint the core of each formation's operation and kick it to a halt. However, the final stage was not so straightforward. It was a peak four-star Bewildering and Killing Formation. Had his State of Mind not reached 12.0, a level comparable to a four-star master teacher, he would likely have been completely disoriented upon entry, dying without even knowing how. At the crucial moment, he used the power of the Library of Heaven's Path and found two flaws. Knowing how dangerous it was, he didn't have time to analyze the exact situation. He rushed forward, delivering a kick to each of the two formations, bringing them both to a halt, thus narrowly escaping disaster.

"It seems it's better not to provoke formations above level four in the future..." Thinking of the recent experience, he still felt cold sweat trickling down. If his State of Mind hadn't been so high just now, he would surely have been entranced and then slain. A single four-star formation was so terrifying, wouldn't higher-level ones be even more powerful? He had assumed that with his Eye of Insight, formations were mere decorations to him. Now, it seemed, things weren't so simple. A truly formidable formation could kill you before you even had time to react. In such cases, even the greatest techniques or knowledge of flaws would be useless.

As Zhang Xuan pondered, President Zheng and Sai Gezhu approached him, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief. "Master Zhang," President Zheng began, "did you... break all the formations?"

"Just stopped them!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Breaking a formation meant dismantling it, damaging its foundational components, making it very difficult to reactivate later. Stopping it, however, was merely pausing its operation, akin to an inactive formation. It could be made to function again almost instantly. To put it plainly, it was the difference between destroying the foundation and merely suspending its function. Breaking a formation was akin to smashing it, while stopping it was a specific method to render it inactive. While the immediate results might appear similar, there was a fundamental difference.

"Stopped them?" President Zheng and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. If he had truly broken through and, in doing so, not only destroyed the strongest four-star formations in the Formation Ocean but also damaged the guild's main array, even as president, he would have had no way to explain it.

After explaining, Zhang Xuan asked, "Since I've passed through the Formation Ocean, does that mean I'm now an official formation master?"

"May I inquire about Master Zhang's current exact strength?" President Zheng asked, not directly answering his question.

"I'm at the Half-step Transcendent Mortal realm," Zhang Xuan replied. "However... barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be able to break through to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan within the next two days." With the Heaven's Path cultivation technique for Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, he figured he could break through quickly as soon as he found a spirit gathering formation. He mentioned it in advance to avoid startling them with his sudden increase in cultivation in a couple of days.

"To apply for a four-star formation master title, one needs to be at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan or above," President Zheng said, his brows furrowing. "Your current strength isn't up to standard..." Just as he had assessed earlier, the young man before him hadn't even reached the Transcendent Mortal realm, making it highly improbable for him to become a four-star formation master. Formation masters belonged to the prestigious "upper nine streams" professions, and like master teachers, they had extremely high requirements for cultivation strength. It was simply impossible to bestow such a high rank without the corresponding cultivation level.

After a moment, President Zheng suggested, "How about this, Master Zhang: I'll issue you a provisional four-star formation master badge for now and report your case to the main guild. If special approval can be obtained, there should be no issue! However, even if it's not approved, with your talent, you can easily reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan before the age of thirty. At that point, you'll automatically be promoted without needing a second assessment!"

"Provisional four-star badge?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. "There's also this level of badge?"

"Yes," President Zheng confirmed. "This is the method for those who pass a four-star assessment but haven't yet reached the required cultivation level. Most other guilds handle it similarly; only a few professions that don't demand a specific cultivation level can grant a direct rank without such complications!" For example, appraisers don't require strength; if they pass the assessment, they are directly given a five-star badge.

"A provisional four-star badge is fine then. So... can I have the four-star spirit gathering formation diagram and the formation flags now?" Zhang Xuan asked. He had primarily undergone the formation master assessment for these items, and now, as a provisional four-star master, he should be eligible to receive them.

"Hmm, please wait," President Zheng responded. Seeing Zhang Xuan so eager for these two items, he gave a wry smile and shook his head before turning to give an instruction. Soon after, a junior apprentice returned with a jade token, formation components, and flags.

"This is the formation diagram for the four-star Spirit Gathering Formation," President Zheng said, handing over the jade token. "Just read and memorize it; under no circumstances should you spread it!"

Zhang Xuan nodded and touched the jade token with his finger. His consciousness entered it, and indeed, he "saw" a detailed layout diagram of a formation, complete with explanations for adapting it to various terrains.

"Hmm? Wait, this Spirit Gathering Formation can only gather the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones at a time?" After reading through the introduction and contents, Zhang Xuan's expression soured. While this Spirit Gathering Formation was impressive, it could only channel the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones simultaneously. It couldn't accommodate more. Ten spirit stones might be a significant amount for others, but for him... it was barely useful. A single spirit stone wouldn't last even two breaths before shattering. Even if ten lasted longer, it would only be about twenty breaths. What significant difference did that make from his previous method? He would still need to constantly manage spirit stones while cultivating and breaking through realms.

"Being able to gather the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones at once is already the most advanced Spirit Gathering Formation our guild possesses," President Zheng said, his brows furrowing. "It's sufficient to sustain the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts. Does Master Zhang still find it inadequate?" A four-star Spirit Gathering Formation was considered the highest grade within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It was extremely difficult to set up without sufficient cultivation. If he still considered it too low-tier, there truly was nothing more they could offer.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Is there... a formation that can gather spiritual energy from any number of spirit stones placed within it?" To break through to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, he needed a vast quantity of spirit stones. Being able to use only ten at a time would be incredibly time-consuming. Ideally, he needed a formation that could accommodate all the necessary spirit stones at once, preventing interruptions during his cultivation. It was like a car's fuel tank: a teacup-sized tank, even with numerous gas stations along the way, would be too troublesome and inefficient for long journeys. A tank the size of a water vat, however, would clearly make things much easier.

"Any amount?" President Zheng's mouth twitched. "Such a formation does exist, but... that would be a five-star Spirit Gathering Formation. Moreover... we only have its diagram, not the actual formation flags or components!" President Zheng, the highest-ranking formation master in Honghai City's Formation Master Guild, was only at the peak of the four-star level. He couldn't set up a five-star formation, so naturally, he hadn't prepared any materials for one. Furthermore, such items were incredibly valuable, and without reaching the corresponding rank, there was no channel to even purchase them.

"Only the diagram..." Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed deeply. Had he gone through all this trouble—the assessments and the challenges—only for it to be all for naught in the end? To receive only a Spirit Gathering Formation that was barely useful? If that were truly the case, it would be an outrageous swindle!