Chapter 484: It's the Foot (Part 2)

This was a second-level illusion array. When he walked in just now, he went mad, unable to distinguish reality from illusion—so terrifying... And this guy, with a random kick, broke it?

Are you kidding me?

If earlier, when the two junior disciples said he broke the array with one kick, he thought it was nonsense, what about now?

He saw it with his own eyes: one kick, and the array stopped; one stomp, and the illusion array vanished...

The intense sense of contrast drove him nearly mad.

He was considered a formation genius, always admired by his classmates, having passed the one-star formation master exam at a young age, and had trained his mind for years—yet the moment he entered the second-level illusion array, he became disoriented and almost vomited blood from frustration.

But this guy, before the illusion array fully activated, just kicked it, and... the array stopped!

Did it have to be this exaggerated?

Did you collude with the array to put on a show for us?

Just as he was collapsing in despair, the nervous voice of the green-robed junior disciple sounded: "Senior, do you think... he did that on purpose, or was it a random kick?"

"Random kick? Have you ever seen a random kick break an array?" The senior's mouth twitched, and darkness clouded his vision.

He had seen random kicks kill people, random kicks cause chaotic meridians and severe injuries, but who had ever seen a random kick break an array?

Arrays are in harmony with the principles of heaven and earth, flawless, ethereal, without physical form, similar to the environment...

Have you ever seen a random kick shatter the environment?

So...

This was not a random kick at all, but a purposeful, thoughtful, responsible, and dutiful kick! A kick that pinpointed the essence, saw through the origin, detected the vital point, and discovered the life gate!

Otherwise, how could one kick break the array?

"On purpose? Then... how strong must his mastery of arrays be?" The white-robed junior disciple's lips went dry: "Even the teacher would find it hard to do!"

Their teacher, renowned throughout the entire guild, a dignified four-star formation master, with such strength, apparently couldn't break arrays this easily.

"I don't know either, but if he continues to challenge, we might get a chance to see more!" Suppressing his shock, the senior said.

His insight was limited; he really didn't understand how the other broke the array. But if he watched a few more times, he might learn something and find clues.

Maybe he could even pick up some techniques, and when encountering such arrays in the future, break them as easily as that guy, and advance to higher levels.

"Continue to challenge? You mean he'll still go for the third level?"

"Being able to break a second-level illusion array so easily means he's at least a three-star formation master. Of course he'll continue..."

"That's true!"

The three of them looked forward in unison. Sure enough, as they guessed, the young man in the array, who seemed listless and about to collapse at any moment, after kicking apart the illusion array before him, neither retreated nor paused, but continued walking forward.

"For third-level arrays, relying solely on absorbing heaven and earth's spiritual energy is already difficult to sustain. Usually, spirit stones are placed in the array base to drive them. Therefore, such arrays are more powerful and have more variations. Breaking them probably won't be as simple as before."

The senior's expression was solemn.

Whether arrays or anything else, to make them work, they need power, just like oxen eat grass and people eat food. Nothing can keep running without consumption.

First- and second-level arrays are low-level; they automatically absorb heaven and earth's spiritual energy to activate and generate power.

Above third level, it's not so easy.

Even if they can absorb spiritual energy on their own, it would take countless years to accumulate enough for one use. For instance, the ancient Xuan Yuan Array accumulated for a thousand years and only used once, exhausting all its energy.

The Array Sea is challenged by countless people every year. Relying on self-absorption is unlikely, so spirit stones are usually placed in the array base to drive them.

With this providing energy, like the difference between a horse-drawn carriage and a man-pulled cart, the power is greater, the might stronger, and it's harder to break.

This young man broke the first- and second-level arrays easily, but facing a third-level array powered by spirit stones, it probably won't be that simple.

Whoosh!

In the time it took to speak, the third-level array activated, and the young man's figure plunged into a blinding white environment.

The shadow on the wall seemed to fall into a huge trap, surrounded by sharp energy blades like falling petals from the sky, full of eerie sensation.

"Falling ground as traps, spiritual energy as weapons... Could it be the [Azure Swan Flying Flower Array]?"

His lips trembling, the senior nearly fell to the ground in fright.

"Azure Swan Flying Flower Array? What array is that?"

The two junior disciples looked over.

They were still apprentices, here to take the one-star formation master exam, and were unfamiliar with many high-level arrays, having never even heard of them.

"It's, it's... a killing array!"

The senior's voice trembled.

"Killing array?" Both junior disciples staggered, nearly biting their tongues.

Among arrays, illusion arrays and killing arrays are the most terrifying. And this guy encountered both—his luck was too bad.

The illusion array was already terrifying, nearly trapping the senior. What about a killing array? This guy didn't even have a jade talisman; wouldn't he be killed inside?

"Is this killing array... powerful?"

Suppressing his shock, the white-robed junior disciple's voice trembled.

"The Azure Swan Flying Flower Array, a peak third-level killing array, said to have been created by a man named Shen Qinghong fifteen hundred years ago. Falling ground as traps, flowers flying everywhere, causing people to die in a beautiful environment without pain... This array once killed a Mortal Transcendence second-level expert, reputed to be the most powerful among third-level arrays... What do you think?"

His voice hoarse, the senior was either frightened or nervous.

"Killed a Mortal Transcendence second-level? This, this... is comparable to a fourth-level array!" Their pupils contracted.

First-level arrays can kill Tongxuan realm experts; second-level arrays can kill half-step Grandmasters or even Grandmasters; third-level arrays can deal with Supremes, and above that, half-step Mortal Transcendence or even Mortal Transcendence are mostly powerless.

This killing array had even killed a Mortal Transcendence second-level, stronger than some fourth-level arrays... The terror was imaginable!

Even hearing it with their own ears was hard to believe.

"Then... will he be in danger?"

The green-robed junior disciple couldn't help asking.

"It's hard to say. It depends on his strength and means of survival. If both are ordinary, there's only one outcome... death!"

The senior shook his head, about to continue, when his brow furrowed: "Look, the array is activating!"

With his words, the spiritual energy blades on the wall suddenly revealed their ferocious side, like countless arrows flying rapidly, surging toward the young man from all directions.

These energy blades were extremely powerful; even a Supreme expert would find it hard to resist, their guts and intestines torn apart.

"Let's see how he defends. If it were me, I'd first dodge the edge and then seek the life gate..."

Projecting himself onto the other, the senior was thinking how the other would survive this calamity when he saw that unremarkable "foot" lift again.

Whoosh!

It kicked toward the rain of flowers.

"This... isn't he asking for death?"

Facing this, the guy still used the same move. The three of them went mad simultaneously.

For trapping arrays and illusion arrays, which pose no life threat, a kick is one thing. But this is a killing array; the energy blades are like razor blades, piercing the body—no one can withstand that. Kicking...

I want to ask, what are you thinking?

Full of exasperation, they thought the guy would at least lose his leg, if not die, when suddenly the entire array froze.

Whoosh!

With a roar, the energy blades dissipated, and the once mighty, life-threatening array melted like ice and snow, vanishing completely.

The young man's figure reappeared before them.

"The array is broken?"

"Again, again... succeeded?"

The three looked at each other, thunderstruck.

"Another one-kick array break. What the hell is going on..."

The senior twitched, feeling breathless, about to suffocate.

He had thought that during the second level, the action was too fast and he hadn't seen clearly. If he could watch a bit more, he might find the technique and learn something. Now it seemed... he was overthinking!

One-kick array break... such an absurd move, even if he watched a hundred times, it was useless!

It was simply impossible to learn...

"Not only that, look... he seems to be going for the fourth level?"

The green-robed junior disciple said.

Hearing this, the other two looked again and indeed saw the young man, now visible, shaking his head as if sighing that the array was too weak, then lifting his leg and walking toward the fourth level.

Passing the fourth level means successfully passing the four-star formation master exam...

A guy under twenty, taking the four-star formation master exam?

Who was it that said he couldn't even pass the first level? Who looked down on him?

All three felt stiff, on the verge of madness.

...

While the three were shocked to the point of ecstasy, outside the Array Sea Corridor, in a small incense burner, four long incense sticks burned simultaneously, their smoke drifting, bringing a sense of peace.

"President Zheng, what do you mean? You know my three students are challenging the Array Sea today, yet you let that guy in to disrupt things?"

In front of the incense, a white-bearded elder glared angrily.

Four-star formation master of the Formation Masters Guild, elder of the guild, Wang Haoxun.

He was also the teacher of the "senior" and "junior disciples" inside.

His three students had been scheduled to challenge the Array Sea a month ago. Who knew the president would come and insist on inserting someone? He thought it would be his student Xiao Wu, who was due to take the three-star formation master exam...

But it turned out to be someone he'd never seen before.

Even if he'd never seen him, it would be fine if he had real skill. But look at that lazy attitude, that drowsy expression...

Can such a person challenge the Array Sea?

If he succeeds, the sun will rise in the west!

"Elder Wang, why are you so anxious? Having one more person challenge the Array Sea is also good for your students!" President Zheng shook his head.

"If he could pass, it would be good. But look at his demeanor. If he fails, won't it put psychological pressure on my students? How will they continue?" Wang Haoxun snorted.

Challenging the Array Sea requires not only understanding and skill in arrays but also mental state. Otherwise, encountering illusion arrays can easily cause collapse and be exploited.

If a fellow challenger performs well, one's own students might be encouraged and also achieve good results. If the performance is too poor, it affects their psychology, and they certainly won't get good results.

"Being allowed to jump the queue to challenge the Array Sea naturally means I know something about his strength. Don't worry..."

Before President Zheng could finish his comforting words, the first incense stick before him trembled and went out.

This is called [Array Sea Incense], specially made to accompany the Array Sea Corridor. Whenever someone challenges, it automatically lights.

The entire incense stick takes exactly one hour from lighting to burning out. If it doesn't go out on its own during that time, it means the challenger hasn't broken the array. Conversely, it means they passed the level.

When it burns out automatically, the array inside also automatically closes.

That's why the senior said that even if trapped and unable to escape, there's no danger to life.

Array Sea Incense represents time and also controls the opening and closing of arrays. There are four sticks, corresponding to the four levels of the corridor.

Now the first one went out, indicating someone passed the first level.

"See? Passed smoothly. Any more words?" President Zheng glanced and smiled.

"Hmph, my students entered much earlier than him. It could be them who passed!" Wang Haoxun snorted.

When the incense goes out, it means someone succeeded, but it doesn't show who.

That drowsy guy just entered a moment ago, at most two minutes. How could he succeed? It must be one of his students.

"That... is possible!"

President Zheng was startled and nodded.

Although he had seen Zhang Xuan set up arrays quickly, he had never seen him break arrays, so he wasn't sure.

Even if the first level was a first-level array, it was impossible for him to break it in such a short time, let alone the other.

"If it's your student, since he passed, there's even less to worry about..."

Shaking his head, President Zheng smiled, but before he finished, the second incense stick before him also trembled and suddenly went out.

"Passed the second level?"

He was startled.

Less than a minute after passing the first level, the second level was also passed?

How could it be so fast?

"Is this... still your student?" With a strange expression, President Zheng couldn't help asking.

"..." Wang Haoxun's face stiffened.

He knew his own students' level and strength very well. Even if they could pass, it would take at least ten or twenty minutes, or even longer.

In less than a minute, before the array even fully activated, they broke out...

That was too fast!

Crack!

While hesitating, the third incense stick before him also trembled and went out.

"The third level passed too?"

Wang Haoxun nearly cried in fright.

Even if he still held great hopes, he knew it couldn't be his three "students" who did it.

These three: one aiming for two-star formation master, two for one-star. The one who easily passed the third level could only be someone else.

"Was it that guy just now?"

Eyes wide, Wang Haoxun exchanged glances with President Zheng beside him, both feeling exasperated.

It wasn't strange that he passed the third level, but... the speed was too fast.

The first and second levels were simple, so breaking them easily was understandable. But the third level was driven by spirit stones; even they would find it hard to break. So fast, one after another—how did he do it?

"Passing three levels so quickly... could he even pass the fourth?"

After the shock, they both looked at the last incense stick.

This represented the fourth level, also a fourth-level array. If he passed this too, it would be truly terrifying.

A four-star formation master under twenty... and most importantly, challenging so fast—how deep must his understanding of arrays be?

In the past, they wouldn't have dared to think about it.

Hum...

While puzzled, the fourth incense stick trembled, seeming about to go out, but in the end, it stopped and continued burning.

"Didn't go out... It seems the fourth level wasn't passed. Fourth-level arrays aren't so easy to pass!"

Seeing the incense shake but not go out, knowing that the person inside must have tried to break through but failed, Wang Haoxun shook his head.

That guy's speed earlier had scared him; he thought even fourth-level arrays could be easily broken. Now it seemed not so easy.

True, even he couldn't guarantee breaking every fourth-level array, let alone a kid under twenty.

If he could, it would be too heaven-defying.

"Becoming a three-star formation master on his first try is pretty good..."

President Zheng was also startled, slightly disappointed.

Seeing how fast that guy set up a two-star spirit gathering array, he thought his understanding of arrays was not inferior to his own. Now it seemed he was still lacking.

But being so young and reaching three-star, with good training in the future, breaking through to four-star or even five-star wasn't impossible.

"Didn't pass the fourth level? It seems... Teacher Zhang isn't omnipotent..."

Sai, the Pavilion Master behind them, seeing the fourth incense not go out, also shook his head.

Earlier, he thought this guy challenging the Array Sea would cause a big stir like at the Winding Water Pavilion, but now it seemed he had worried too much.

At such a young age, being a master teacher and proficient in appraisal was already heaven-defying. If he also reached four-star formation master, even he found it hard to believe...

Sighing in relief, he was about to go to the corridor entrance to wait for the young man to come out when he felt the ground shake.

Rumble!

A sound like a millstone rolling came, like an earthquake.

"What's happening?"

Faces darkened, everyone looked around. Even President Zheng frowned, not knowing what was going on.

Whoosh!

While puzzled, the warm feeling in the entire hall vanished, replaced by the chill of winter.

Crack!

At the same moment, the fourth incense stick before them suddenly went out... followed by a crisp sound from the incense burner below, which split open with a large crack.

"Is... the array maintaining the Array Sea Corridor and the guild's spring-like climate... broken?"

Seeing this, President Zheng's vision went dark, and he nearly spat blood.

The Array Sea Corridor has countless arrays. For these arrays to trigger randomly, a grand array is needed to sustain them.

And this grand array is the same one that keeps the guild spring-like all year round.

Now the warm feeling is gone, the incense burner cracked... There's only one possibility: this array... has stopped running, broken by someone!

This is a fifth-level grand array... specially set up by experts from headquarters. Who did it?

In an instant, everyone was utterly exasperated.

"Could it be... Master Zhang?"

Trembling, President Zheng and Sect Leader Sai had a figure flash through their minds.

The core of this grand formation lay deep within the Array Sea Corridor, and now only that fellow had made it to the fourth level, approaching this place... Aside from him, they truly couldn't think of anyone else capable of this.

"If it really is him... how did he break this formation? And what method did he use?"

President Zheng stood dumbfounded.

Breaking formations required skill. What skill could allow him to break formations so quickly, even... a fifth-level formation?

Just as they were stunned, several figures emerged—the three students who had entered the assessment earlier.

With the grand formation maintaining the corridor broken, there was no point in continuing the assessment, so they had come out.

"What happened?" Wang Haoxun went over to meet them.

"That person who just went in... broke all the formations..."

The senior student shuddered as he spoke.

"All broken? So fast?"

President Zheng couldn't help stepping forward: "How exactly did he break them? Did he use Grandmaster Hongbei's [Star-Chasing Formation-Breaking Method], Grandmaster Nanyang's [Qi-Seeking Formation-Breaking Method], or the [Power-Accumulating Formation-Breaking Method] left by the Five Elements Formation Master, Senior Saiyang? Only these three could achieve such speed..."

"Ah... President!"

Seeing the highest authority in the guild personally questioning him, the senior student was startled, his face turning pale: "Reporting to the President, he, he used none of these three..."

"None? Then what did he use? These are the most advanced formation-breaking methods I know..."

President Zheng frowned.

These were the most powerful formation-breaking methods he knew. Could there be something else he didn't know?

"He used..."

The senior student's face twisted, filled with despair and madness.

"...his feet!"