"Indeed!"
Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. "This formation blueprint was left behind by a 5-star formation master when the guild was first established. Otherwise, 4-star guilds would have to apply to the headquarters in advance to obtain a grade-5 formation blueprint, and even then, they might not be able to obtain it!"
A formation master's formation blueprint was similar to an apothecary's pill formula. Depending on the grade of the formation, one would have to grasp the grade-5 formation blueprint. Without sufficient strength, coming into contact with it too early would only bring harm to oneself.
As such, the headquarters had a rule that 4-star guilds like Honghai City could only store grade-4 formation blueprints at most. If one wanted to obtain a formation of a higher grade, they would have to apply for it in advance and pay a certain price.
Furthermore, the formation blueprints they would receive would only be the simplest grade-5 formation blueprints. As for the more profound ones, they would have to enter a higher grade guild to obtain them.
If even the formation blueprint was so troublesome, needless to say, the formation base and formation flags.
"Do I have to head to a higher grade Formation Master Guild?"
Did they have to be so conned?
After all this time, without the formation blueprint and formation base, they couldn't possibly set up the formation empty-handed!
The higher the tier of a formation, the more powerful it would be. Thus, the requirements for these two aspects would be greater as well. Regardless of whether it was the materials used or the forging method, there would be rigid requirements … After all, he couldn't possibly head to the Blacksmith Guild to learn how to forge a Spirit Gathering Formation, right?
Putting aside the time it would take, the Blacksmith Guild of Honghai City would probably be the same as the Formation Master Guild. Even if they were to learn the formation, they might not be able to find the materials, flame, forging method... and forge a suitable weapon.
Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan felt stifled.
He thought that it would be a simple matter of buying a Spirit Gathering Formation. Yet, even after several hours, they were still unable to resolve the matter.
"Actually... even without the formation base and formation flags, it is still possible to set up a grade-5 formation!"
Elder Wang Haoxun suddenly thought of something and interjected.
"Hm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
Through his studies, he knew that those two were required to set up a formation. These were the hard and fast rules, and there was no way to change them. Could it be that there was another way?
"You mean..."
Guild Leader Zheng suddenly thought of something, and halfway through his words, he shook his head and said, "That's impossible, you must be joking!"
"What's wrong?" Seeing the two of them speaking in riddles, Zhang Xuan asked.
"He's talking about... inscribing a formation plate!"
Guild Leader Zheng smiled bitterly. "Inscribing formation plates is much more difficult than setting up a formation. Without reaching 5-star, it is impossible for one to succeed!"
"Array disc?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.
That's right, why didn't he think of that?
The Array Disc was a special material that was carved with patterns to replace the Array Flag and Array Base. Naturally, it didn't need these two things.
"Putting that aside, I once obtained an empty grade-5 formation plate from the Appraiser Hall and tested it out personally. It's incomparably tough, such that without a specialized carving knife, one wouldn't even be able to draw the inscriptions on it. How could one possibly carve it?"
President Zheng shook his head continuously.
The higher the level of the formation, the higher the material requirements of the formation plate. Otherwise, what was the use of the formation plate if it couldn't withstand the pressure and cracked before it was even used?
Their guild only had a 4-star carving knife. Even if they had a Grade-5 Blank Array Plate, they wouldn't be able to carve the patterns, needless to say, create a formation.
"Give me the diagram of the Level 5 Spirit Gathering Array and the array disc. If there's really no other way, we can only give up!"
Zhang Xuan knew that the other party was right, but he had finally found a straw to clutch at, so he still spoke up.
"Alright!"
Seeing Zhang Xuan insist, President Zheng nodded his head. Flicking his wrist, a jade token and a blank array disc appeared before him.
These two items could be considered as the most valuable items in the guild, and he had always carried them with him.
Receiving the jade token, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into it.
Just like the Grade-4 jade token, a Grade-5 Spirit Gathering Array was recorded within it. The method to set it up and the requirements of the various materials... were recorded clearly in his mind.
He quickly browsed through it and committed it to memory.
"It is indeed difficult!"
Combing through his memories, Zhang Xuan sighed.
Even though there was only a difference of a single grade between a Grade-4 formation and a Grade-5 formation, the difference was huge. If one's cultivation wasn't up to par, even if one had the formation flags and the array base, it would still be difficult to set up the entire formation.
Just like pill forging, even if a 1-star apothecary had the pill formula, he wouldn't be able to control the violent energy within the cauldron, thus making it impossible for him to forge a Grade-2 or Grade-3 pill.
If he could forge both, there wouldn't be a need for such a detailed classification of the various occupations.
"However... If I were to use the Library of Heaven's Path to find the flaws and flaws, I should be able to succeed!"
With these two items, even though ordinary 4-star formation masters would find it difficult to complete the task, Zhang Xuan still stood a chance.
Just like pill forging, as long as he didn't make any mistakes, he would be able to guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill.
As long as he could ensure that there were no mistakes in the steps of setting up the formation, even though he was only a Half-Transcension, he would be able to set up a grade-5 Spirit Gathering Array.
But... as good as his idea was, he couldn't do anything without the required materials. Without the required materials, there was no point in thinking about it.
"Let me take a look at the formation plate!"
Tossing these thoughts aside, Zhang Xuan reached out to take the blank formation plate that Guild Leader Zheng brought him.
The object was black in color, and it was extremely heavy. Zhang Xuan had no idea what material it was made of, but just by looking at it, it looked like a smooth and neat bronze mirror.
"This is a carving knife, you can give it a try!"
Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still hesitating, Guild Leader Zheng flicked his wrist and passed a carving knife over.
Taking the carving knife, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and began carving on the smooth surface of the formation plate.
Jiya, jiya!
A jarring sound echoed. Even though the carving knife was tough, it didn't manage to leave the slightest mark on the blank formation plate.
Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.
It seemed like the other party was right. He was overthinking things. Even if he had a better method, it wouldn't work.
"Flaws!"
Helpless, Zhang Xuan grabbed the blank formation plate and muttered in his mind.
Hu!
A book appeared, and Zhang Xuan flipped it open.
"Grade-5 blank formation plate, forged by 5-star Blacksmith Yang Shu with Wintry Silver Iron and Nine-Inch Gold. It is incomparably tough. Only a Spirit high-tier carving knife or a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon combined with Weapon Intent can leave a mark on it. Flaws:... "
Flaws were written all over it.
Taking a glance, Zhang Xuan knew that even if there were flaws, it wasn't something that he could exploit with his current strength. Just as he was about to put it down, he suddenly froze.
"A Spirit intermediate-tier weapon combined with Weapon Intent... can leave a mark on it?"
Spirit high-tier carving knives were exclusive to grade-5 formation masters, so it was impossible for him to obtain one. However... Spirit intermediate-tier zhenqi was something that even Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts possessed. It wasn't difficult to find one in Honghai City. In fact, Master Sai had collected quite a few of such treasures.
As for Weapon Intent, since Zhang Xuan had comprehended Sword Heart, it wasn't a problem at all!
Weapon Intent possessed incomparable sharpness. Even though it was a grade lower than Weapon Intent, it could definitely make up for it.
The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. With glowing eyes, Zhang Xuan raised his head and asked, "I know how to carve it now. Do any of you have a Spirit intermediate-tier sword? Lend it to me for a moment? "
"Spirit intermediate-tier sword?"
Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "I have one, why do you need it?"
"Lend it to me for a moment!"
Zhang Xuan said.
"Alright!"
Knowing that the other party wouldn't take his belongings for himself, Guild Leader Zheng flicked his wrist and took out a sword and passed it over.
Grabbing it, Zhang Xuan unsheathed it lightly.
A cold gleam shot up to his glabella. Even before infusing his zhenqi into it, he could already feel a powerful spiritual energy gushing into it.
As expected of a Spirit intermediate-tier sword, it was much more powerful than any weapon he had ever seen or used before.
Weng!
Unsheathing the sword, a wave of spirit burst forth from it, as though it was trying to escape from Guild Leader Zheng's grasp.
A weapon of this tier already possessed its own spirit and was able to recognize its master. If one wasn't its master, they would be unable to control it and might even be injured.
"My apologies, this sword has been with me for too long, so it's a little uneasy with strangers. Let me give it some advice, and it should be fine …"
Seeing the sword trembling, as though it was about to escape at any moment, Guild Leader Zheng walked up to it in embarrassment. He ran his finger along the back of the sword, as though caressing a lover. "Alright, I'll be lending it to you for a moment. Be obedient and don't resist!"
Weng!
Hearing Guild Leader Zheng's advice, the sword trembled even more intensely, as though it had been wronged.
"Cough cough, don't worry, I'll persuade it right now …"
Guild Leader Zheng's face reddened as he continued caressing the sword.
However, the sword didn't seem to appreciate his goodwill. The more he tried to persuade it, the more intensely it trembled.
"Old Zheng, you've bought this Imperial Jade Sword for so long, it can't be that you haven't managed to get it to acknowledge you as its master yet?" Master Sai couldn't help but ask.
He had bought this sword from his old friend back then, and it had been five years since then. To think that it still hadn't acknowledged him as its master yet.
Since a weapon had already acknowledged its master, it would surely listen to its master's words with utmost respect.
"Cough cough, you should know how complicated it is to get a weapon to acknowledge you as its master. Over the past few years, I've been accompanying it every day, eating and sleeping together, so it's already much better. Don't worry, just let me comfort it for an hour, and it should be fine! "
Smiling awkwardly, Guild Leader Zheng said.
Other than eating, sleeping, accompanying a weapon day and night, and tempering it with zhenqi, there was no other way to get a weapon to acknowledge him as its master.
The Imperial Jade Sword had been by his side for five years, and its spirit had already acknowledged him. Even though it was still a long way off from fully acknowledging him as its master, it was already very close to him. If he were to slowly comfort it, it should be able to listen to his words.
"An hour is too much of a hassle. Give the sword to me!"
Hearing that it would take so long to make a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon listen to him, Zhang Xuan was speechless. He couldn't help but shake his head.
"Give it to you?" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "You have a solution?"
Unable to be bothered to waste time with the other party, Zhang Xuan took the sword and tapped the tip, body, and hilt of the sword three times with his index finger and middle finger.
Hu! Hu!
Upon being tapped by him, the sword trembled intensely, as though it had encountered something extremely frightening.
"Stay here obediently. If you continue to jump around, do you believe that I won't cripple you?"
Zhang Xuan's face darkened as he bellowed.
Weng!
Upon hearing those words, the sword immediately stopped moving. Following which, a sound reminiscent of a bell echoed from within the sword, reverberating in everyone's hearts.
"Spirit Surge …"
Guild Leader Zheng's body stiffened, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "The Imperial Jade Sword has acknowledged him as its master? This, this … What is going on? "
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