Chapter 485: Quasi-Four-Star Array Master

"Foot?"

President Zheng and Wang Haoxun were both stunned, utterly bewildered. Was there a method of breaking arrays called "foot"?

"Yes, from the first level to the fourth, every array I encountered, one kick each, and then, and then... I passed!" said the senior student.

"One kick each? You mean... you kicked the arrays apart with your foot?" President Zheng and Wang Haoxun nearly spat blood on the spot.

"Yes!"

The senior student nodded.

The two four-star array masters exchanged glances.

Yes? Yes, your sister!

Was there such a method of breaking arrays? How had they never heard of it?

"What the senior said is true; he kicked each one, and we both saw it with our own eyes..." Seeing the president and teacher's disbelief, the two junior students stepped forward to testify.

"Could it be that he was very lucky and encountered relatively shallow and simple arrays?"

Seeing everyone say so, Wang Haoxun knew it probably wasn't a lie, but couldn't help asking.

In the Array Sea, the activated arrays were random, so luck played a large part. Passing four levels so quickly without any pause—could it be that the arrays he encountered were all the weakest of their level, making them easier to solve?

"Lucky?"

The three twitched simultaneously: "We've never seen... such bad luck! The first level, he encountered the Cloud Sea Trapping Array, then the second was an Illusion Array, the third was the Green Hong Flying Flower Array..."

"Cloud Sea Trapping Array? Illusion Array?"

"Green Hong Flying Flower Array?"

Hearing just the first three, the two four-star array masters nearly fell to the ground.

These were all the most invincible arrays of their level. For one person to encounter them all at once—was it true? How unlucky did one have to be to suffer such misfortune?

Most importantly, encountering these arrays, he still passed so quickly? And even had time to damage the grand array maintaining the guild's operation...

"What was the fourth level?" President Zheng quickly looked over.

Could it be that the fourth level was relatively simple?

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

"Drunken Heart Killing Array... a four-star peak array combining a confusion array and a killing array?" President Zheng exclaimed.

He thought after the bad luck of the first three levels, the last one would be luckier, but he didn't expect this!

This was definitely one of the most terrifying arrays in the Array Sea.

Ordinary arrays were either confusion arrays, illusion arrays, killing arrays, trapping arrays... mostly single-type, but this one combined confusion and killing arrays into one.

That is, once trapped inside, it first confuses you, then... kills you.

With such a terrifying array, even if he were trapped in it, he could hardly guarantee survival. Yet the other party not only came out unscathed but also broke the array and, along the way... destroyed the guild's grand array...

Was this necessary?

"Yes, after entering the array, I saw his mind affected and thought he couldn't break it, but then... two kicks, and the Drunken Heart Killing Array collapsed, followed by... the guild's grand array also broke, making it impossible to continue the assessment, so we had to leave..."

The senior student explained.

"A four-star peak and a five-star array can be broken with feet?"

President Zheng and Wang Haoxun felt their worldview and values completely collapse.

On the side, Guild Master Sai also covered his forehead.

He had thought that when Master Zhang came, things would calm down, not be as exaggerated as at Flowing Cup Winding Water... It seemed this idea was still too naive.

This guy couldn't rest without causing some trouble wherever he went!

While everyone was shocked or resentful, the protagonist of their thoughts walked out from the corridor.

In truth, Zhang Xuan was also a bit nervous inside.

The first three levels were very simple for him; he didn't even need the Library of Heaven's Path. With a glance from the Eye of Insight, he easily found the core of the array's operation and kicked it to a halt. But the last level wasn't so easy.

The four-star peak confusion-killing array—if his mental state hadn't reached 12.0, comparable to a four-star master teacher, he would have been completely confused upon entering and died without knowing how.

At the critical moment, he used the power of the Library of Heaven's Path to find two flaws.

Knowing it was too dangerous, he had no time to analyze what was happening, so he rushed up and kicked each one, stopping both arrays, thus escaping disaster.

"I'd better not provoke arrays above fourth level in the future..."

Thinking of the experience just now, he still felt cold sweat.

If his mental state hadn't been high just now, he would surely have been confused and then killed.

A four-star array was this terrifying; higher-level ones would be even more formidable, wouldn't they?

He had thought that with the Eye of Insight and the Library of Heaven's Path, arrays were just decorations for him, but now it seemed not so simple.

A powerful array could kill you before you even reacted, rendering any great means or knowledge of flaws useless.

"Master Zhang, you... broke all the arrays?"

Having made his decision, he saw President Zheng and Guild Master Sai approach, their faces full of awe.

"Just stopped them," Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Breaking an array meant destroying it, damaging the array foundation so that even if one wanted to reactivate it later, it would be difficult. Stopping was different; it only paused the operation, similar to an unactivated array, and could be made functional again in an instant.

In short, it was the difference between destroying the foundation and not destroying it.

Breaking an array was equivalent to shattering it; stopping was a special method to make it non-functional. Externally, the effects seemed different, but in essence, there was a fundamental distinction.

"Stopped?" President Zheng and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If he had truly, in one pass, not only destroyed the strongest four-star arrays in the Array Sea but also damaged the guild's grand array, even as president, he wouldn't be able to explain it.

"Since I've passed the Array Sea, does that count as becoming a formal array master?"

After explaining, Zhang Xuan asked.

"May I ask what Master Zhang's current exact strength is?" Instead of answering his question, President Zheng looked at him.

"I'm half-step Mortal Deity! But... barring accidents, I should break through to Mortal Deity realm first level in the next couple of days," Zhang Xuan said.

With the Mortal Deity first level Heaven's Path technique, as long as he found a spirit gathering array, he should break through quickly, so he mentioned it in advance to avoid startling them when his cultivation increased greatly.

"A four-star array master requires strength above Mortal Deity realm third level to apply. Your current strength doesn't meet the standard..."

President Zheng frowned.

As he had seen before, this young man hadn't even reached Mortal Deity, so becoming a four-star array master was unlikely.

Array master was an upper-nine-rank profession, like master teacher, with extremely high strength requirements.

Without matching strength, it was impossible to be granted this rank.

"How about this, Master Zhang, I'll first give you a quasi-four-star array master badge and report this matter to the headquarters. If we get special approval, there should be no problem! However, even if it's not approved, with your talent, you can easily reach Mortal Deity realm third level before thirty. Then, without a second assessment, you can automatically advance!"

After a moment, President Zheng said.

"Quasi-four-star badge?" Zhang Xuan was curious.

Was there such a level of badge?

"Yes, this is the method for handling those who can pass the four-star assessment but haven't reached the required strength. Other guilds are mostly the same; only a few professions that don't require strength don't need such trouble and can be directly graded!"

President Zheng said.

For example, appraisers didn't require strength, and after passing the assessment, they were directly given a five-star badge.

"Quasi-four-star is fine, then... can I get the four-star spirit gathering array diagram and array flags?"

The main reason for taking the array master assessment was for this. Now that he was quasi-four-star, he should be eligible to receive them.

"Mm, wait a moment!"

Seeing him ask for these so quickly, President Zheng smiled wryly and shook his head. He turned and gave an instruction. Xiao Wu left and soon returned with a jade slip, array base, and array flags.

"This is the diagram for the four-star spirit gathering array. After you read it, memorize it, and be sure not to leak it!"

He handed over the jade slip.

Zhang Xuan nodded, touched the jade slip with his finger, and his spirit entered it. He indeed "saw" a diagram for an array, along with detailed instructions for handling different terrains.

"Hmm? No, this spirit gathering array can only gather the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones at a time?"

After reading the introduction and content, Zhang Xuan's expression turned unpleasant.

This spirit gathering array was indeed extraordinary, but it could only gather the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones at a time, no more.

Ten stones might be a lot for others, but for him... it was somewhat useless.

One spirit stone couldn't even last two breaths before shattering. Even if ten stones lasted longer, it would only be twenty breaths. How different was that from before?

Wouldn't he still have to struggle with spirit stones while breaking through?

"Being able to gather the spiritual energy of ten spirit stones at once is already the best spirit gathering array in our guild. Even a Mortal Deity realm fourth level expert would find it sufficient for cultivation. Does Master Zhang think it's not enough?"

President Zheng frowned.

A four-star spirit gathering array was the highest level within the Ten Nations Alliance. Without sufficient cultivation, it was hard to set up. If he still thought it was too low-level, there was really no solution.

"Is there... an array that can gather the spiritual energy no matter how many spirit stones are placed inside?"

After hesitating, Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

To break through to Mortal Deity realm first level, he needed a massive number of spirit stones. Using only ten at a time was too time-consuming.

It would be best to have an array that could hold all the required spirit stones at once, so he wouldn't encounter trouble during cultivation.

It was like a car's fuel tank. A cup-sized one, no matter how many gas stations along the way, would be too troublesome for long-distance travel. A water tank-sized one would make things much easier.

"No matter how many?" President Zheng's mouth twitched. "There is, but... it's a five-star spirit gathering array, and... there's only the diagram, no array flags or array base!"

In the Honghai City Array Master Guild, the highest-ranked President Zheng was only four-star peak and couldn't set up a five-star array, so naturally, he hadn't prepared materials for five-star arrays.

Moreover, these items were extremely valuable. Without reaching the required level, there was no way to purchase them.

"Only the diagram..."

Zhang Xuan's brow furrowed deeply.

After all this—taking assessments, breaking through levels—was it all for nothing in the end? Just to get a useless spirit gathering array?

If so, that was too much of a letdown!