Chapter 1016: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (1)
Chapter 1016: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Seal (1)
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
As long as he could activate the formation, he would be able to find the flaws in it through the Library of Heaven's Path. That would be even more accurate than any compass that one could find.
It was nigh impossible for others to find the precise location of where the openings should be made, how big the openings should be, and how much strength one should exert in opening it. However, that happened to be the easiest thing in the world for Zhang Xuan.
"Give it a try?" Wu shi shook his head. "I know that Principal Zhang possesses extraordinary talent in the field of formations, but the implications are simply too great. Failure is not an option for us, so you mustn't act recklessly!"
Failure would spell the instantaneous explosion of the volcano, and that would reduce all of them to ash. This was no laughing matter, and it was definitely not something that one should 'give a try'.
"I know." Nodding in agreement, Zhang Xuan was just about to explain himself when a voice from the sky harrumphed coldly.
"Give it a try? Humph, can you bear the responsibility if something goes wrong? For a person as young as you to speak such big words, what is the world becoming?"
Hong long!
An elder bellowed coldly as he descended from the sky, heading toward the group. He was the 7-star pinnacle formation master who had been busy taking control of the situation to fortify the formation, Han Xu!
His face looked withered from the fatigue he had accumulated over the days, but at this moment, not even his exhaustion could conceal the sharp coldness and displeasure he was directing toward Zhang Xuan.
"Guild Leader Han… Allow me to introduce you!" Wu shi hurriedly stepped forward to resolve the air of awkwardness drifting between them. "This is the newly-appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan. This young lady over here is Luo shi. As for Mu shi over here, I don't think that I will have to introduce him since you are old friends with him. Principal Zhang and Luo shi, this is the head of our Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild, Han Xu!"
"You are Zhang Xuan?" Hearing the introduction, Han Xu turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "I have heard of you. To be able to become a 6-star formation master at such a young age, you are indeed an outstanding talent.
"However… as a master teacher, you must speak with prudence. Recklessness is the most common cause of the downfall of young talents. Everyone here knows that releasing the built-up energies within is a far better solution that forcefully stopping it, but do you know what the consequences of failure are? Not only will we die, everything within a radius of a thousand kilometers from here will be eradicated. Countless lives will vanish in an instant… Are you certain that you can shoulder such responsibility?"
Knowing that the other party was only berating him because the other party thought that he was taking such a grave matter lightly, Zhang Xuan quickly explained himself with a smile. "Guild Leader Han, you have misunderstood what I am saying. When I said that I would give it a try, I meant that I will do so only after I am entirely confident of success. Naturally, I dare not fool around with so many lives at stake!"
"How arrogant!" Yet another middle-aged man walked over with a disdainful look on his face. "This seal before us may very well be a grade-8 formation or even higher than that. My teacher and I have analyzed it for more than two days now, but we are still unable to find a foolproof way to release the energies within the seal without triggering an explosion. Yet, without even taking a look at the formation, you are saying that you are confident of success? As the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, don't you think that you are being a little too arrogant here?"
The middle-aged man harnessed immense strength within him, such that even his very presence could exert great pressure on those looking at him.
Saint 3-dan, Embryonic Soul realm!
The Embryonic Soul realm was also known as the Origin Soul realm. In this cultivation realm, one's Origin Core would metamorphose into the form of a human, pushing one a step further toward the Primordial Spirit realm. Cultivators at the Embryonic Soul realm possessed incredibly powerful souls, allowing them to subdue cultivators far weaker than them with just the pressure exerted through their presence itself.
"Cough cough. Zhang shi, this gentleman over here is Guild Leader Han's student, 7-star Formation Master Liu Mo!" Not expecting the casual words from Zhang shi to cause such a fallout, Wu shi awkwardly attempted to remedy the situation.
For the past two days, Guild Leader Han and his student had put in a lot of effort to find a suitable node where they could release the energies. For this, they hadn't rested for even a single moment, but they were still unable to find a node that they were entirely confident was safe to open.
They were already cranky from the frustrating situation before them, but a fellow actually came by at such a moment and arrogantly said that he would give it a try, as if it was something that could be resolved very easily. In that instant, the frustration that had accumulated in them over the past two days was ignited into blazing rage.
"Liu Mo?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Never heard of you before."
He had never been to Qingyuan Empire before, so naturally, he knew nothing about the guild leader or formation masters in the Formation Master Guild there. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have pointed it out in view of the other party's pride. However, since the other party was behaving in such a manner, he couldn't be bothered to act courteously with the other party anymore either.
"You…" Not expecting the other party to retort to his words, Liu Mo flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed. "It doesn't matter whether you heard of me or not. I am an ordinary formation master in the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild anyway."
"You are misunderstanding my words, I am not just referring to you!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan looked at the other party earnestly and added, "I am saying that I have never heard of Guild Leader Han as well!"
"You…" Nearly exploding with fury, Liu Mo's face turned crimson.
Guild Leader Han also nearly spurted blood on the spot.
Even though he, Han Xu, couldn't say that his name was known throughout the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire, he had at least been relatively well-known for several centuries now. Each year, there were countless master teachers who wished come under his lineage in hopes of studying the Way of Formations from him. Yet, this fellow before him had actually shot him down along with his student.
Yet, he simply couldn't flare up over this matter, or he would risk appearing petty. He felt so stifled that he could tear his hair out in frenzy.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Luo Ruoxin couldn't help but chuckle.
To bicker with this fellow… You will be the one spurting blood in the end!
This fellow is one who doesn't care about conventions or rules, a person who dares to even insult Kong shi!
To think that you can win against someone like that is indubitably a gross overestimation of yourself!
Waving his hands leisurely, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back before taking a step forward. "Alright, there is no need to get so agitated just because I don't know about you. As the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, I have many things on my agenda. I don't have time to find out the names of every single lad who comes my way!"
He gazed deeply into the massive depression before him for a moment before saying, "Wu shi, prepare a formation flag for me. It will best if it's a grade-7 pinnacle formation flag!"
"This…" Wu shi was conflicted.
Seeing that the other party was intent on creating an opening to let out the energies, Liu Mo immediately stood up and roared furiously, "Hold it right there! Do you really intend to bring so many people down with you?"
Did that fellow know what kind of risk he was putting everyone under?
He and his teacher had spent two days assessing the formation, but even they couldn't be entirely certain of their conclusion. Out of fear of the devastating explosion that could occur were they to fail, they dared not to even test it out. Yet, the other party had been here for only ten minutes, and he was already eagerly trying to create an opening in the seal.
There are more than twenty thousand master teachers up here! Even if you are tired of living, you need not bring everyone down with you!
While the other principals were doing their best to ensure the safety of their students, this lunatic was trying to have his students buried with him. To act so recklessly without getting a clear view of the situation, just how in the world did such a fool get nominated as Hongyuan's principal?
"You are thinking too much… The reason the both of you aren't able to find the correct node to open the formation at, even after two days of effort, isn't because you aren't working hard enough but because you are fools! Naturally, I won't be the same as you two!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan ignored the two and walked up to the depression.
"Principal Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the many students guarding the depression hurriedly stood up and looked at him with gazes of admiration.
"Un. You have all worked hard." Zhang Xuan nodded.
"It is our responsibility to work for the welfare of mankind," the students hurriedly replied.
Seeing the other party walking up to the seal, Liu Mo turned to look at his teacher anxiously. "Teacher, we mustn't allow that fellow to fool around!"
"Don't worry, it is not that easy to find a node. Even after two days of effort, we were only able to deduce five plausible nodes. There is no way that he will be able to find one that easily!" Guild Leader Han shook his head.
Honestly speaking, he didn't think that Zhang Xuan would be able to even deduce a plausible node that the energies could possibly be released from.
After all, even a 7-star pinnacle formation master like him was unable to find it even after two days of effort, so how could a 6-star formation master possibly succeed?
"But… I fear that he would recklessly create an opening in the seal despite his ignorance! If he gets it wrong, a calamity could very well befall us," Liu Mo said anxiously.
"Don't worry, even after he finds a node, he will need some time to create an opening to draw the energies out. We will have more than sufficient time to stop him." Guild Leader Han waved his hands confidently.
"Ah… I was too rash!" Hearing those words, Liu Mo heaved a sigh of relief.
Indeed, finding a node required time, and creating an opening to channel the energies out required time as well. As esteemed figures, there was no need for them to fall out at this point yet.
If the other party really intended to create an opening in the seal, it wouldn't be too late for them to stop it then.
"Un. I have heard a lot about this Principal Zhang, and it seems like he possesses extraordinary talent in the Way of Formations. It is a pity that he is still too young and reckless. However, this will be a good experience for him. Youngsters like him have to meet with a few failures before they learn that the world is far greater than what they can see. The Way of Formations is an extremely profound art. It is not something that someone who has just barely gotten a glimpse of it should speak lightly about!" Guild Leader Han chuckled.
"Let him give it a try first. Once he fails to find a node, he will realize his own ignorance."
"Yes!" Hearing those words, Liu Mo couldn't help but direct a gaze of admiration toward his teacher.
Do you see this? This is what a true master is like! Despite having been insulted by another, he is still thinking in the other party's stead.
Ignoring the conversing duo, Zhang Xuan began assessing the seal before him carefully.
Green lines gathered within his black eyes—Eye of Insight.
This isn't working. This formation is too profound for my current eye of discernment and knowledge; I can't make sense out of it at all. Zhang Xuan shook his head.
If it had been any other formation, even if it was a grade-7 pinnacle formation, with his Eye of Insight and his comprehension of formations, he would surely have been able to find its flaws and decipher it with sufficient time.
But the one before him left him completely clueless.
I will have to use the Library of Heaven's Path for this one. Sighing deeply, a frown emerged on Zhang Xuan's forehead. But to use the Library of Heaven's Path, I will have to find a way to activate the formation. I won't be able to find its flaws in its current dormant state.
Frustrated, he pinched his glabella with his fingers.
The Library of Heaven's Path could only compile a book on a formation when it was active.
Even though the seal covering the ancient domain was suppressing the rampaging energies beneath it, it was actually still dormant. With the formation in such a state, Zhang Xuan wouldn't be able to compile a book on it even if he were to scream 'Flaws!'.
He would have to activate the formation, but… how could he do so?
Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.
…
"He isn't using a compass at all? To be neither assessing the geographical terrain nor the flow of spiritual energy in the air… Does this fellow even know the first thing about formations?"
Liu Mo had been keeping a close eye on the arrogant Principal Zhang, wanting to see how the other party would find a node after bragging so much. However, he only saw the latter standing in a daze before the depression, pinching his glabella in frustration.
For the other party to not take out his compass or even take a sweeping glance to assess his surroundings…
How in the world would one assess a formation like that?
"Perhaps this might be a unique method he has learned somewhere." Guild Leader Han was also bewildered by the sight before him.
"Let's hope that is the case… W-wait a moment. What is he doing?"
Just as Liu Mo nodded in agreement, he suddenly caught sight of Principal Zhang's actions, and he nearly fainted from sheer shock.
The other party had hesitated in front of the depression for a brief moment before abruptly lifting a massive boulder and tossing it into the depression.