Chapter 1743: Chapter 884: First Place
The entire arena was silent.
The elders of the Four Great Sects felt a chill in their hearts.
Sitting in the corner of the Taoist Field, this originally unknown little disciple suddenly emanated an aura that was shocking.
Within his frail body, it seemed as if a monster was hidden.
The cultivators at the edge of the arena could not feel it deeply yet.
But those competing alongside Mo Hua, from the Sixteen Patterns until now, all the major sects, including the Heavenly Prides of the Four Great Sects, clearly felt an enormous sense of oppression.
Qian Taoist Sect, Shen Juncai.
Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, Nineteen Patterns Divine Sense.
He was the Heaven’s Chosen Son among all the disciples of this generation’s Qian Taoist Sect with the highest attainments in formations.
Since young, he was praised as a formation genius within the family, and viewed by the ancestor as a promising Great Formation Master prospect.
And he proved it.
Compared with the disciples of the Shen Family, with the disciples of the surrounding Great Families, and even with the geniuses from various parts of the Nine State, he ranked among the very best.
He only needed to prove it once more.
At the much-anticipated Dao Discussion Conference, he aimed to seize the Array Competition leadership to reward himself for his years of dedication to formations, to validate his unique talent in formations, and to embark on his first step towards reaching the peak of the Array Dao.
His future was destined to be limitless like a dragon in transformation.
But he knew who his toughest rivals were:
Heavenly Sword Sect’s Xiao Yi, with exceptional talent, coming from a sword-casting family, possessing Nineteen Patterns Divine Sense, skilled in killing formations, particularly adept at sword-related killing formations.
Longding Sect’s Ao Li, with Nineteen Patterns Divine Sense, tall and strong, looked rugged but was a formation master earning his living through formations, skilled in defensive formations used in body cultivation combat.
Wanxiao Sect’s Duanmu Xue, with plain elegance and few words, possessing the strongest Divine Sense among them all, with a sense above Nineteen Patterns, although not extremely strong, it was a massive advantage, particularly skilled in deep and complex formations with intricate formation principles.
These three were the stumbling blocks in his path to claiming the Array Leader title.
And Shen Juncai also knew in his heart, when it came to killing formations, defense formations, or difficult formations, he was slightly weaker than the disciples of the other three sects.
But his strength lay in having no weaknesses.
His experience in formations, the depth of his Divine Sense, and the scope of his knowledge far exceeded his peers.
Perhaps compared to the top disciples in every aspect, he was slightly inferior, but not by much.
Overall, his formation strength was like an impregnable fortress.
Besides, he was a member of the Shen Family.
The Shen Family values strategy and is known for being calculating.
Therefore, he had simulated and calculated countless times in his mind on how to seize the Array Dao leadership this time.
He could fully utilize "three mistakes tolerance," to leverage his solid foundation in formations and his profound formation expertise to the fullest.
Considering the actual performance of the other three sects’ disciples, he selectively and strategically abandoned some overly difficult formations, to conserve energy and focus on conquering those formations with a better grasp.
It’s okay if some formations were not mastered, and even if drawn incorrectly, it’s alright, as long as he controlled the errors and learned to plan reasonably, persisting till the end.
As long as the disciples of the other three sects were defeated before him, he would become the Array Dao leader!
But now, everything had been disrupted.
Because a perplexing "powerful adversary" suddenly emerged.
Without needing to turn around, Shen Juncai could distinctly perceive the cold and powerful pressure.
This pressure was not apparent at first.
But then, it slowly began to ferment at some unknown point.
By the time he realized it, it was too late, and he himself seemed to be shrouded in a massive shadow, his back chilled.
The Taixu Sect disciple sitting in the corner did not seem like a "person," but like a formation "monster."
He was just, with cold indifference, devoid of any emotion, drawing any formation with egalitarian ease.
Moreover, up until now, he had not made a single mistake in any formation.
In such a situation, calculating interrupt allowance was no longer meaningful.
Calculating choice was no longer possible.
To claim the first place, he had no choice but to brace himself and draw all the upcoming Nineteen Patterns formations.
Even if not, he must draw. Even if wrong, he must draw.
Otherwise, there would only be the path to "defeat."
A huge pressure descended like a mountain.
The Heavenly Prides of the Four Great Sects were forced to go all-out, with no means of retreat.
It wasn’t just Qian Taoist Sect’s Shen Juncai.
Heavenly Sword Sect’s Xiao Yi, Longding Sect’s Ao Li, Wanxiao Sect’s Duanmu Xue...
These top Array Dao geniuses from the Four Great Sects now appeared to be under an immense shadow, their minds tense, faces turning pale.
Under the enormous and strange pressure subtly emitted by Mo Hua, the geniuses of the Four Sects couldn’t even spare a thought, having to focus all their attention, Divine Sense, and thoughts entirely on formations.
This was the clash among geniuses, in which even a slight indiscretion could result in exiting the stage.
Yet this was essentially a "monster" exerting "pressure" on other geniuses.
...
The elders of the Four Great Sects all wore extremely ugly expressions.
The situation took a sharp turn, and by the time they realized it, it was already too late.
Only two Nineteen Patterns formations had been assessed, and now, the only ones left on the field were the Heavenly Prides of the Four Great Sects, along with that Taixu Sect’s evil monster...
Moreover, the situation seemed to be turning increasingly against them...