Chapter 506: Phantom Feather Empire

A formation disk imbued with spiritual energy is not only powerful and capable of absorbing spiritual energy to grow, but, more importantly, it can also activate automatically without requiring a cultivator's vital energy.

While this might seem no different from activating it with vital energy, its practical implications are immense. For instance, if its owner faces danger and cannot access the formation disk, this spiritual treasure could potentially save their life. Consequently, this type of formation disk is one of the most highly valued life-saving items among cultivators.

However, such an item can only be inscribed by a six-star formation master or higher, and success is not guaranteed, requiring considerable luck. He had only heard legends about them and never witnessed one, which was why it hadn't immediately come to mind. Even Pavilion Master Sai, after confirming it, found it hard to believe that this young man had actually inscribed one right before his eyes. What was even more astounding was that he used amateur tools like knives, swords, and spears, which had no resemblance to proper engraving tools.

After the initial shock subsided, President Zheng looked at Master Zhang again and sighed. He had previously believed his own formation-arranging abilities were comparable to Master Zhang's. Now, however, he finally understood that some people were simply geniuses – individuals whose skills, once displayed, were beyond his reach and could only be admired from afar. Breaking five formations in a matter of minutes, even causing the grand formation that sustained the guild's operations to pause... And a formation disk casually carved with a sword and a knife contained spiritual energy... If Master Zhang's cultivation hadn't been below the Transcendent Mortal realm, President Zheng would have suspected him of being a six-star formation master in disguise.

"Do you mean this thing can activate on its own?" Master Zhang asked, ignoring President Zheng's shock.

"Yes," President Zheng nodded. "As long as you refine it first and establish a spiritual connection with its essence, you can easily activate the formation without needing vital energy!"

"Excellent!"

Hearing that it wasn't a failed attempt, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He lightly touched the formation disk with his palm and indeed felt a joyful intent emanate from it. Given that he had used the engraving method from the Heaven's Path Formation and incorporated his sword, saber, and spear intents, he would have found it hard to believe if the result had been no different from an ordinary formation disk.

"Refine!"

He dripped a bit of blood onto it, and the spiritual energy within the formation disk slowly began to communicate with his consciousness.

"Activate!"

With a casual toss, the formation disk immediately activated. Spiritual energy from thousands of meters around surged towards it like a whale drawing water, creating a wailing sound from the sheer intensity, as if a gale were whistling through a cavern.

"So powerful..."

Witnessing the surrounding spiritual energy being completely absorbed, everyone present was astonished. As expected of a five-star formation, its power was terrifying. Though they were outside the formation, they could still sense the remarkable density of spiritual energy within it, which was at least three times more concentrated than the outside world! Cultivating within it for extended periods would undoubtedly accelerate one's progress several times over. Furthermore, a spiritual formation disk, if damaged, could automatically repair itself. As long as it wasn't used too frequently, its effectiveness wouldn't diminish with repeated use, allowing for unlimited activation.

"Good!"

Feeling that its power was consistent with what was described in the formation diagram, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He then grabbed the formation disk, put it away, and looked up at the elder nearby.

"President Zheng, what is the price of this blank formation disk?"

The long sword, broadsword, and spear he used for carving were merely borrowed, but this blank formation disk had been purchased by President Zheng. Now that Master Zhang intended to keep it, he naturally had to inquire about its price; he couldn't simply take someone else's property for free.

"Master Zhang, please," President Zheng said quickly. "This item is of no use to me; consider it a gift..." The young man was capable of inscribing spiritual formation disks and was not yet old; his future was boundless. President Zheng already intended to foster a good relationship with him.

"Give it to me?"

Frowning, Zhang Xuan immediately shook his head. "I don't accept rewards without earning them. How about this: since you haven't refined this Jade Deficient Sword yet, I'll help you with that, and consider it the payment for the formation disk!" Accepting a favor from someone else was akin to incurring a karmic debt, and he had always been unwilling to take such advantages.

"Help me refine it? Weapons... can they be refined for others?" President Zheng looked stunned. Refining a weapon, much like developing a relationship, required spending time with the object, fostering a connection... *cough, cough*, could someone really help with that? It felt as absurd as someone offering to help a newlywed couple on their wedding night!

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, reached out, took the Jade Deficient Sword from President Zheng's hand, and gently stroked it.

"The Jade Deficient Sword has already recognized you as its master; how could it possibly accept me now?" President Zheng shook his head.

"Don't worry," Pavilion Master Sai said, stroking his beard as he saw his old friend's disbelief. "Master Zhang is a five-star Appraiser. Since he could easily make the Jade Deficient Sword recognize him as its master, he naturally has a better way to make it recognize you!" At this point, his trust in Master Zhang was absolute. If Master Zhang said something could be done, Pavilion Master Sai believed it would be done; he was almost at the point of blind worship.

"A better method..."

Seeing Pavilion Master Sai's confident assertion and recalling Master Zhang's various miraculous feats, President Zheng was filled with hope and couldn't help but look on intently. Just as he was anticipating what astonishing method this legendary figure would employ, he heard Master Zhang's stern voice.

"Listen to President Zheng obediently and recognize him as your master! Otherwise, believe it or not, I'll destroy you in a matter of minutes!"

"Cough! Cough!"

President Zheng and Pavilion Master Sai simultaneously choked on their saliva, their faces turning green as they nearly burst into tears on the spot. They had expected some profound method, not a blatant threat! Did he not know that spiritual weapons were notoriously unyielding and feared threats the least? And "destroy you in minutes"... if it could understand human language, it wouldn't have been so resistant in the first place. How could someone seem so unfathomable at times, yet so utterly clueless and foolish, like a complete novice, at others?

"Master Zhang..."

Suppressing the frustration in his heart, President Zheng shook his head, intending to dissuade Master Zhang from making a futile attempt, when he heard a "whoosh" sound. The Jade Deficient Sword shot straight towards him. He quickly reached out to catch it and immediately felt its spiritual essence surging within, beyond his control. It was clearly... about to recognize him as its master.

President Zheng was bewildered. How did this happen? He had tried for five full years and failed, yet the other party succeeded with a single phrase: "destroy you in a matter of minutes"... Normally, he would have been overjoyed if this long sword, which he had spent years attempting to refine, had truly acknowledged him. But now, for some reason, instead of feeling any joy, he felt so frustrated he wanted to vomit blood.

"It seems that in the future, if I want to refine spiritual weapons, I shouldn't be too gentle; I should be a bit fiercer..."

After remaining depressed for a long while, he finally dripped his blood onto the Jade Deficient Sword to complete its recognition of him as its master. Only then did President Zheng breathe a sigh of relief, secretly pondering the lesson he had just learned.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!" Having helped President Zheng's treasure recognize him as its master, which he considered repayment for the blank formation disk, Zhang Xuan clasped his fists and bade farewell. His purpose in coming to the Formation Master Guild was to find a Spirit Gathering Formation, and now that he had the formation disk, it was time to return and accelerate his cultivation.

"Farewell!"

President Zheng nodded.

"This Master Zhang... just who is he?" Seeing the young man and Pavilion Master Sai depart without any hesitation, Wang Haoxun approached.

"I don't know either, but... this matter must be reported to the headquarters immediately. To think he hasn't even reached the Transcendent Mortal realm, yet he used a long sword, a broadsword, and a spear to carve out a spiritual formation disk..." Recalling Master Zhang's earlier actions, President Zheng's mouth still twitched involuntarily.

"Indeed, we must report this immediately!" Wang Haoxun nodded repeatedly. As this was the first time Master Zhang had taken the Formation Master examination at their branch, he was considered their branch's talent. Uploading his information immediately meant that once he received commendation from the headquarters, breaking through current limitations and advancing to a five-star formation master would be well within his grasp.

"However, before that, you need to find out Master Zhang's specific background and whereabouts—where he came from and where he's going—to ensure a comprehensive report!" President Zheng instructed.

"Yes!" Wang Haoxun nodded and hurried out.

Not long after, he returned with a piece of paper densely filled with information about Zhang Xuan. As one of the continent's foremost powers, it was simple for the Formation Master Guild to gather information about an individual, especially since Zhang Xuan and his companions hadn't deliberately concealed their tracks.

"An unknown from Tianxuan Kingdom? In less than three months, he became a two-star Master Teacher, a three-star Alchemist, a three-star Physician, a three-star Calligrapher-Painter, a two-star Beast Tamer, a five-star Appraiser, and a quasi-four-star Formation Master..." After reading the contents, President Zheng's lips felt dry. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he found it utterly unbelievable. In less than three short months, he had journeyed from a backwater like Tianxuan Kingdom to the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance, and at an age under twenty, he had successfully passed examinations for at least seven professions—some even at a higher rank than his own! How did he manage this?

"I was just as shocked when I saw this..." Wang Haoxun said with a bitter smile. He had nearly collapsed from shock after gathering this information. "Actually, I didn't collect all of this myself. Master Zhang once annihilated a minor family called the Lin Family in Tianwu Kingdom, and that family had close ties with the local Formation Master branch, which is how all this information was gathered." Wang Haoxun continued, "However, while we have information about his arrival, we don't know what he plans to do next. Should we inquire about it beforehand, or report to the headquarters first?"

"No need to ask," President Zheng waved his hand. "With such heaven-defying talent, if I'm not mistaken, he's definitely heading to Myriad Kingdoms City to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament!"

"The Master Teacher Tournament?" Wang Haoxun was momentarily stunned. "The one organized by the twenty-seven Master Teacher Hall branches, on par with the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance?"

"Exactly. It's a grand event jointly initiated by the Master Teacher Hall and its twenty-seven subordinate branches, held once every ten years. A genius of his caliber will undoubtedly attend, even if not to compete, then certainly to observe!" President Zheng nodded.

"Indeed, it's a grand event initiated by the Illusion Feather Two-Star Empire, offering generous rewards. Any genius would find it hard to refuse." Wang Haoxun nodded gravely. "Master Zhang, with such abilities at a young age, will surely participate."

"Alright, then, report it quickly," President Zheng said. "For a genius of this caliber, while we can't outcompete the Master Teacher Hall, we must ensure his primary profession is listed as a formation master, so his talent isn't overlooked!" President Zheng said no more. He and Wang Haoxun then set off toward the room containing the communication wall.