There weren't as many books in the Formation Master Guild as there were in the Appraiser Hall. Furthermore, more than seventy percent of the books were for 2-star formation masters and below, and Zhang Xuan had already comprehended all of them.
As such, it wasn't too difficult for him to collect them. In just two hours, he had already imprinted all of them into his head.
With sufficient books, he could form the Heaven's Path Formation Art 3-dan and 4-dan once more.
Another two hours later, Zhang Xuan rubbed his fatigued glabella and exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.
After swiftly collecting so many books and learning Heaven's Path Formation Art 2-dan, even though Zhang Xuan had reached Half-Transcension, he still felt a little light-headed and his face paled.
But even so, it was worth it.
In terms of formation knowledge, he might not be able to match up to Guild Leader Zheng, but in terms of setting up formations, the latter was far from a match for him.
More importantly...
"So this is inscribing a formation plate. Spirit Gathering Formation is indeed difficult..."
At this moment, Zhang Xuan had a deeper understanding of formation plates. He finally understood why Guild Leader Zheng was so angry when he told him to complete it within two hours.
A formation plate was an inscription of a formation on a palm-sized area, and on top of that, it had to fuse with the environment.
This was especially so for a Spirit Gathering Formation. It gathered spiritual energy to prevent impacts, making it much more difficult to inscribe than other formations. Half a month was indeed the fastest he could do it.
"However, it is indeed difficult to inscribe a formation plate using ordinary methods. If I were to use the method described in the Heaven's Path Formation Art, it would be much easier!"
Ordinary formations required one to follow the formation diagram strictly, and one had to fuse with the environment in order to succeed. A single mistake could result in the collapse of the entire formation, turning it into a waste.
On the other hand, Heaven's Path Formation Art emphasized on consistency, smoothness, and simplicity.
If one were to inscribe the same formation diagram using the Heaven's Path Formation Art, it would be several times easier.
"The Sea of Formations should be ready. I should head over to take a look!"
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to dwell on the matter of the formation plate and walked out of the library.
Having learned everything he needed and gained a deeper understanding of formations, it was about time for him to try out the Sea of Formations and take the formation master examination.
...
"The Sea of Formations is just a name. It isn't actually an ocean but a long corridor. It is located on the third floor of the Formation Master Guild, and there are countless formations set up there. As long as one enters, there is a constant risk of being trapped, hallucinated, or even... death!"
"Because … there are all kinds of formations here. Naturally, killing formations are included."
"However, there's no need to worry. Every single examinee has a Lifesaving Formation Amulet in their hands. If we were to encounter any life-threatening danger and are unable to escape, just crush it, and the formation will stop attacking!"
At the entrance of the Sea of Formations corridor, a young man surveyed the surroundings before instructing his two juniors.
The three of them were taught by the same teacher. The latter two were taking the formation master examination for the first time, while the senior in front was taking the 2-star examination.
At this moment, the two juniors were slightly nervous. Their lips were pale and their palms were covered in sweat.
"There's no need to be nervous. I'll walk through the first trial later on and show it to you. Remember, the formation that everyone experiences is random. My experience can only be used as a reference. You can't copy it … Do you understand?"
The senior said.
"Don't worry, Senior. We'll be careful!"
"We will strive to pass the first stage and not disappoint teacher!"
The two juniors behind him clenched their fists tightly.
"Very well, I'll show you now. Take note, no matter what kind of formation you encounter, don't be rash. Analyze it calmly so that you can find the life gate and clear it!"
Seeing the humble attitude of the two, the senior nodded his head in satisfaction. After which, he turned around and walked toward the corridor of the Sea of Formations with widened strides.
Weng!
As soon as he stepped into the corridor, a layer of mist immediately appeared around him. A formation appeared before him, trapping him within.
The first stage of the Sea of Formations, grade-1 formation!
"That wall …" The duo turned to look at it.
The wall by the side of the corridor was made out of a unique crystal, and it could clearly reflect the situation of the challenger.
The senior's figure was reflected on the wall. At this moment, he was observing his surroundings with a frown.
In order to break the formation, one had to first know what kind of formation it was, where the life gate and death gate were, and where the weakness was … If one couldn't find these, it would be useless no matter how strong one was.
Hu!
A compass appeared in the senior's hand. Lowering his head to look at it, he walked three steps to the left and three steps to the right, testing the reaction of the formation as he walked.
After an unknown period of time, his eyes suddenly lit up, as though he had discovered something. Chuckling lightly, he confirmed a direction and walked over with widened strides.
At the same time, he gathered strength in his palm and struck forward.
Hu!
With a resounding boom, the mist before them disappeared, and a figure appeared before the duo once more. It was the senior.
"Do you see it? This is the first stage. As long as one analyzes the source of the spiritual energy and the changes that occur when one touches it, one will be able to deduce what kind of formation it is. After which, one will be able to determine one's position and find the life gate … and the formation will be solved! "
After clearing the first stage, the senior didn't continue on to the second. Instead, he turned around and introduced the formation to the duo.
He was here to take the 2-star formation master examination, and he was already familiar with the 1-star examination. He was just demonstrating to his juniors to alleviate the pressure they were under.
"Yes!"
The two juniors nodded their heads.
Even though that was the case, when one was trapped in a formation, their surroundings were completely the same. Without a point of reference, it was easy to lose one's sense of direction. Even with a compass, it could only analyze the flow of spiritual energy. It wasn't able to determine where one was or what kind of formation one was trapped in.
There were more than a thousand types of grade-1 Confinement Formations, and of the same type, there were several hundred subdivisions. If one didn't have a deep understanding of formations, it would be impossible for one to break the formation and escape.
"Alright, I'll be challenging the second stage now. Regardless of whether I succeed or not, you two have to learn from me!"
After explaining, the senior took in a deep breath, and a grim look appeared in his eyes.
As a 1-star pinnacle formation master, he was confident of clearing the first stage. However, the second stage was far more difficult.
Hu!
Stepping forward once more, the formation of the second stage was activated. At the same time, a shadow appeared on the wall.
"Why isn't senior moving?"
The two juniors looked over in unison, and only then did they realize that after entering the second stage, their senior's actions were clearly different from before.
Previously, he had taken out his compass to look around to ascertain the type of formation, but this time, he seemed to be in a daze, not moving at all.
"This is bad, it can't be an Illusion Formation, right?"
The white-robed junior suddenly thought of something and exclaimed.
"Illusion Formation?" The green-robed junior widened his eyes.
An Illusion Formation interferes with one's mind. As soon as one enters it, one would be immersed in the preset scene, unable to extricate themselves. It was even more fearsome than a Confinement Formation.
Confinement Formations were no different from a cage. Even though one knew that it was impossible to escape, at the very least, one's mind wouldn't be affected. However, once one was trapped in an Illusion Formation, one's mind would be in a trance, unable to recognize one's identity or where one was.
Hu hu hu!
While the two were perplexed, the face of the senior within the formation was completely drained of blood. The zhenqi in his body churned furiously as he struck his surroundings, as though he had gone insane.
Pu!
After an unknown period of time, his zhenqi seemed to have been sapped dry, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. Only then did he regain his senses. He hurriedly crushed the jade token in his hand.
The mist dissipated, and the senior appeared before the two once more with a dispirited look on his face.
He had failed the second stage!
"Senior …"
Seeing the senior walking over, the latter no longer had the high-spirited demeanor from before. Instead, he looked like a defeated rooster, and the two juniors panicked.
"It's normal for one to fail in the Sea of Formations. I can only say that I was unlucky to have triggered an Illusion Formation …"
Swallowing a pill, the complexion on the senior's face recovered slightly. Looking at his two juniors, he smiled awkwardly.
"Indeed, an Illusion Formation is simply too difficult …"
The green-robed junior said.
"If it was a Confinement Formation, senior would have surely cleared it and become a 2-star formation master …" The white-robed junior said.
"If it was a Confinement Formation, I do have the confidence to clear it!"
Seeing that his two juniors didn't lose their respect for him, the senior heaved a sigh of relief and said, "I've done some calculations. In the past ten years, there have been a total of 88 2-star formation masters who have taken the examination. Of which, 22 of them have triggered an Illusion Formation … However, it's a pity that none of them have cleared it! Those who have succeeded are mostly Confinement Formations or Beguilement Formations. "
"What if one encounters a Slaughter Formation?"
"Slaughter Formation?" The senior shook his head. "Then it's even more impossible for one to succeed. A single misstep would mean death. Putting aside clearing the formation, it would already be a blessing for one to survive …"
"It's that difficult? Doesn't that mean that no one will be able to clear it? "
Hearing how fearsome the Slaughter Formation was, the two juniors panicked once more.
"To tell you the truth, there is almost no one who has ever succeeded in challenging the Sea of Formations if they encounter a Slaughter Formation or an Illusion Formation. Later on, when you enter, if you notice anything amiss, it's best for you to crush your jade token immediately. Stop struggling futilely!"
The senior instructed with a grim expression.
"Yes!"
The two juniors nodded their heads. "Don't worry, senior. If we encounter a Slaughter Formation or an Illusion Formation, we'll definitely turn around and leave! If even you are unable to clear it, who else can? At the very least, it'll be difficult for anyone in this guild to clear it … "
Just as the two of them were praising their talented senior, a young man walked over lazily from the entrance of the Sea of Formations.
This fellow seemed to be younger than them, probably not even twenty. His eyes were bloodshot, as though he hadn't slept for several days straight. Fatigue filled his face.
"Who is this fellow? Why haven't I seen him before? "
The trio was taken aback.
They had followed their teacher in the Formation Master Guild for at least five years. As long as it was an apprentice or formation master, there wasn't a single person they didn't recognize. Yet, the young man before them looked extremely unfamiliar.
"He might be an apprentice who popped out of nowhere … With a single look, it's clear that his mental fortitude isn't up to par. He probably hasn't slept for several days straight!"
"Indeed, his eyes are bloodshot. To be so frightened by the Sea of Formations, he's really a weirdo!"
The two juniors sneered.
They were so nervous that they felt embarrassed. Yet, look at this fellow. His clothes were disheveled and his body was loose. He must have been so frightened that he hadn't slept for several nights straight.
"What's wrong with the guild? Isn't there a limit to the number of slots every year? How can someone like him challenge the Sea of Formations? "
The senior also furrowed his brows.
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