FVN Chapter 595 Formation No. 1! Hiding Strength?
Chapter 595 Formation No. 1! Hiding Strength?
Right now.
Chen Fan's divine sense blasted into the array core as if it were a tangible substance, peeling away the core runes on the dark gold array core layer by layer.
The runes emitted a piercing shriek under the impact of the divine sense, desperately resisting, but Chen Fan's divine sense remained as steady as a rock under the blessing of the Fixed Word Technique, unmoved in the slightest.
One floor, two floors, three floors...
The moment the last layer of runes was peeled away, the core of the array let out a muffled wail, and the dark golden light on its surface suddenly dimmed before shattering into pieces.
The entire Void Illusion Killing Array collapsed with a deafening roar.
The fixed array patterns fell like fabric without a skeleton, and countless cracks appeared in the gray void, allowing outside light to seep in and shatter the entire array.
On the array platform, the barrier of the fifth-grade array shattered with a deafening roar.
Chen Fan emerged from the sky full of light, his expression still calm and composed, his gray-blue robe without a single wrinkle.
He looked down at his hands and nodded slightly.
The fifth-grade formation was indeed somewhat troublesome for him, but it was far from enough to require him to exert all his strength.
In fact, Chen Fan had a vague feeling in his heart!
With his mastery of array formations enhanced by the Fixed Word Technique, he might not be unable to attempt even a sixth-grade array formation.
But he did not continue towards the sixth-rank formation platform.
The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.
Chen Fan has already won first place in the alchemy selection, so breaking a sixth-grade formation would be too conspicuous.
A rank of fifth is enough to secure a place in the top three; there's no need to reveal all your cards. In the Zhao capital, surrounded by wolves, the more you hide, the safer you are.
Chen Fan turned and walked towards the judging panel, stopped in front of Ouyang Ye, cupped his hands and said, "Elder Ouyang, this is where our story ends."
On the judging panel, Ouyang Ye had already stood up from his chair.
He looked at Chen Fan, a meaningful glint flashing in his sharp, old eyes.
He had lived for over a thousand years and seen countless genius array masters, but he had never seen anyone like this eunuch who concealed his talents so calmly.
The method by which this person broke the fifth-grade formation appeared to be conventional, but in reality, every step was as precise as if measured with a ruler, with not a single superfluous movement from beginning to end.
With his keen eye, he could almost be certain that this person possessed the ability to break a sixth-grade formation, but simply chose not to reveal it.
But he didn't say it out loud.
Having spent most of his life in the Hall of Offerings, he knew that some people's backgrounds didn't need to be investigated. Since this person knew how to conceal his abilities, he would give him face.
"A fifth-grade formation, breaking it takes the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." Ouyang Ye spoke slowly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of admiration. "Currently, in the formation selection rankings, Dayu Chen Fan is temporarily ranked first."
Upon hearing this, the area around the array platform fell into a deathly silence.
The middle-aged demonic cultivator from the Boundless Sea had just broken out of the fourth-grade array platform when he heard these words and stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
The green-robed formation master was ashen-faced, his lips trembling as he couldn't utter a single word.
The old woman on the desert grassland remained silent for a moment, then slammed her insect staff down heavily, turned around and left, completely abandoning her plan to continue the challenge.
Only the white-haired old man from Qi, after a brief moment of shock, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Chen Fan from afar, his eyes filled with admiration.
Chen Fan bowed to Ouyang Ye, then turned and walked away from the array platform area. Those who had mocked him behind him didn't dare to utter a sound.
When Chen Fan walked out of the array platform area, the noise in the inner hall suddenly stopped.
Hundreds of eyes were once again focused on him.
This time, the gazes held less of the previous schadenfreude and more of uncertainty and caution.
The top scorer in the alchemy selection still shines brightly on the top of the stone tablet, but no one is sure if this eunuch can also cause any trouble with formations.
But the silence lasted less than three breaths before someone couldn't help but speak up.
"They're out, they're out." Yan Yunfei of the Great Yan Dynasty was the first to speak, his tone carrying a deliberate air of frivolity. "Master Alchemist Chen, how did the formation test go? Did you get first place again?"
His sarcastic remark drew laughter from those around him.
A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Chu Kingdom chimed in, "Your Highness Yan is joking. Winning first place in alchemy shows he has some real skill, but formations and alchemy are two completely different things. Look how long he's been inside! Which of those proper formation masters doesn't stay inside for at least an hour? He came out in such a short time, most likely because he couldn't even break a third-grade formation and was too embarrassed to stay any longer."
"That makes sense, that makes sense." Yan Yunfei nodded repeatedly, his face contorting into a deeper expression. He turned to Qin Zhan and said, "Crazy Qin, your top-ranked player from Dayu is truly multi-talented. He can refine fifth-grade pills, and as for formations, he can even manage to wrestle himself out of the formation platform, which is quite impressive."
Qin Zhan's face remained ashen, and he did not respond.
Although he knew that Chen Fan was quite skilled in formations, the time Chen Fan spent inside was indeed too short, so short that even he was not quite sure what to expect.
Normally, breaking a fourth-grade formation takes at least half an hour, while a fifth-grade formation takes one or two hours or more.
But from the moment Chen Fan went in until he came out, the entire time was no more than half an hour. This time was too short, so short that it made one hesitant to have too much hope.
The two lieutenants also looked grave. One of them whispered to Qin Zhan, "Your Highness, Minister Chen..."
"Shut up and wait." Qin Zhan raised his hand to interrupt him.
On the high platform, Zhao Yu leaned back in his chair, toying with a jade thumb ring in his hand, a sneer of anticipation playing on his lips.
He had been humiliated by Chen Fan's first alchemy demonstration, and seeing this person emerge from the array platform area so quickly, the resentment he had been holding in all day finally found an outlet.
He put down the jade thumb ring and deliberately raised his voice: "Chen Fan, you got first place in alchemy. If you could also get a ranking in formation, you would be a once-in-a-century genius selected by our Zhao Kingdom. Why are you out so soon? Was it too hot over there at the formation platform, and you came out for some fresh air?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the selection stele on the north side of the offering hall shone with dazzling golden light once again.
At the very top of the stone tablet, next to the solitary golden characters that read "Selection of Alchemists: First Place, Da Yu, Chen Fan," another line of ancient seal script slowly emerged:
"Chen Fan, ranked first in the formation selection. Fifth-grade Void Illusion Killing Formation, broken in one incense stick's time."
The hall was deathly silent.
The two lines of golden characters hung side by side at the top of the stone tablet, like two invisible giant hands, gripping the throats of everyone present.
Yan Yunfei's mouth was agape, his facial muscles trembling violently, but he couldn't utter a single word. Chu Nanfeng's folding fan froze in mid-air, as if someone had struck a pressure point.
On the Qi side, Jiang Yuanxiu took a deep breath, his eyes filled with disbelief. The cultivators in the desert grasslands and the boundless sea remained silent, but the expressions on their faces spoke volumes!