Chapter 886: First Place (Thank You, Big Boss Who Doesn

The entire arena fell utterly silent.

The elders of the Sida Sect felt a creeping chill in their hearts.

Sitting in the corner of the lecture hall, this once obscure little disciple now seemed to radiate a terrifying aura all at once.

Within his slender frame, it seemed a monster lay hidden.

The cultivators by the sidelines felt it only faintly.

But the Geda Sects, who had competed alongside Mo Hua since the Sixteen-Stripe stage and continued drawing to this point—including the prodigies of the Sida Sect—all clearly sensed a crushing pressure.

Qiandao Sect, Shen Juncai.

Foundation Establishment peak, Nineteen-Stripe spiritual sense.

He was the most gifted disciple of this generation in the Qiandao Sect in terms of formation art.

Since childhood, he had been the family's praised formation prodigy, and in the eyes of his ancestral elder, a promising great formation master.

And he had proven it.

Compared to disciples of the Shen family, to those of surrounding great clans, and even within the Qiandao Sect, against geniuses from all across the Nine Provinces, he stood among the very top.

He needed only to prove it once more.

At the grand Dao Debate Assembly, to claim the top spot in Formation Debate, to reward himself for all the years he had poured into formation art, to fulfill his singular talent in formation, and to take his first step toward the peak of the Formation Dao.

His future would surely transform like a dragon rising from a serpent—unlimited.

And he knew well who his greatest rival was:

Xiaoyi of Tianjian Sect, a prodigy born into a sword-forging clan, Nineteen-Stripe spiritual sense, skilled in combat formations, especially blade and sword-based killing arrays.

Ao Li of Long Ding Sect, Nineteen-Stripe spiritual sense, tall and burly in appearance, yet a formation master who lived by formations, specializing in heavy-armored defensive arrays for body cultivators in close combat.

Duanmuxue of Wan Xiao Sect, plain and elegant in appearance, quiet and reserved, possessed the strongest spiritual sense among them—all above Nineteen Stripes. Though not by much, it was still a massive advantage, granting her deep insight into complex, obscure formations laden with intricate principles.

These three were the stumbling blocks to his claiming the Formation Dao's crown.

Shen Juncai also knew that, purely in terms of killing arrays, defensive arrays, and difficult formations, he was slightly weaker than the disciples of the other three sects.

But his strength lay in having no weaknesses.

His formation experience, spiritual sense depth, and range of knowledge far surpassed his peers.

Perhaps slightly behind the absolute top disciples in every category, but not by much.

Combined, his formation prowess became an ironclad wall—impregnable.

Added to that, he was from the Shen family.

The Shen family valued calculation and cunning.

Thus, he had already simulated a thousand times in his mind how to win the Formation Dao's top spot, planning meticulously.

He could fully exploit the "three errors allowed" to maximize his solid formation foundation and profound formation reserves.

Combining the actual results of the other three sects' disciples, he would selectively abandon overly difficult formations, conserve his strength, and focus entirely on those he had greater confidence in.

Not knowing some formations didn't matter; making mistakes didn't matter—as long as he controlled his errors, learned to plan wisely, and held on until the end.

As long as the disciples of the other three sects fell before him, he would be the Formation Dao's number one!

But now, everything had been shattered.

Because an utterly inexplicable "rival" had appeared out of nowhere.

Shen Juncai didn't need to turn around—he clearly sensed that cold, powerful pressure.

At first, the pressure was not obvious.

But at some point, it began to slowly ferment.

By the time he realized it, it was too late; he himself felt as if shrouded in a vast shadow, his back chilled.

That disciple from the Grand Void Gate, sitting in the corner, was not like a "person"—he was a formation "monster."

He merely drew every formation coldly, indifferently, without a trace of emotion, treating them all equally.

And so far, he had not made a single mistake in any formation.

At this point, calculating errors was meaningless.

Calculating trade-offs was no longer possible.

To claim first place, he must steel himself and draw every single Nineteen-Stripe formation that followed.

Even if he didn't know how, he must draw. Even if he made mistakes, he must draw.

Otherwise, defeat was the only path left.

Immense pressure descended like a mountain.

The Sida Sect prodigies were forced to give everything, fight to the death—with no retreat possible.

Not just Shen Juncai of the Qiandao Sect.

Xiaoyi of Tianjian Sect, Ao Li of Long Ding Sect, Duanmuxue of Wan Xiao Sect…

These elite formation prodigies of the Sida Sect now all felt as if trapped beneath a vast shadow, their spirits tense, faces pale.

Under the immense, eerie pressure Mo Hua emitted unconsciously, the four sects' geniuses had no time to think—they could only pour all their attention, all their spiritual sense, all their thoughts into the formations.

This was a clash between geniuses; one misstep meant elimination.

But in truth, this was a monster's "pressure" over other geniuses.

…

The elders of the Sida Sect each wore expressions of utter dread.

The situation had turned dire in an instant; by the time they realized it, it was too late.

Only two Nineteen-Stripe formations had been tested so far, and now, only the Sida Sect prodigies and that Grand Void Gate demon remained on the field…

And the situation seemed to be growing worse…

Outside the lecture hall, everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

The disciples of Grand Void Gate felt both excitement and tension.

Only now did they realize that their junior brother was truly capable of matching the top array prodigies of the Sida Sect.

And he was only at Foundation Establishment mid-stage.

At the same time, an almost absurd thought surfaced in everyone's mind.

Could their junior brother… still win?

If he keeps winning, wouldn't that mean…

The Number One in Array Art, the Array Sovereign?

Since Grand Void Gate's founding, not a single disciple had ever earned the honor of being Number One in Array Art.

Every Grand Void disciple's heart skipped a beat; their breathing slowed.

Elder Murong Caiyun clenched her lips so tightly they turned white, her fingers gripping until they paled.

Elder Xun Ziyou and Elder Xun Zixian sat up straight; the other elders stared fixedly at the Great Arena, not daring to breathe.

Not just the ordinary Grand Void disciples—even these centuries-old Grand Void elders felt their hearts pounding as if about to leap from their throats.

…

The Nineteen-Stroke examination in the Arena continued.

The proposed array formations varied: killing arrays, trapping arrays, defensive arrays, and arrays of profound theoretical difficulty.

The Sida Sect prodigies, along with Mo Hua sitting in the corner, silently drew arrays.

But the Sida Sect prodigies suffered in silence.

The cultivators outside had no idea how immense the pressure was to compete side-by-side with Mo Hua, this "monster," in an array contest.

Like drowning—oppressively suffocating.

Arrays they could have abandoned were no longer discardable; the margin for error they once had was gone.

No matter the array—killing, trapping, familiar or unfamiliar—they had to pour all their strength into drawing it.

And they could not make a mistake…

Yet Mo Hua stood like an unyielding reef amid a raging wave, unnervingly steady.

He had previously, under Elder Xun's guidance, fully simulated the "Array Grand Examination" several times from start to finish.

Because he had prepared in advance, he seized every spare moment during the competition to restore his depleted spiritual sense.

Thus, even now, his spiritual sense remained abundant.

Nineteen-stroke arrays were effortless for him to draw.

These past days, Elder Xun had personally guided him, laying an unshakable foundation in array art.

He had trained day and night, refining that foundation into something impregnable.

This was a depth of cultivation almost unimaginable to ordinary people.

Such profound depth was more than enough to handle any array question in the Grand Examination—whether involving the Five Phases and Eight Trigrams, killing, trapping, production, or any form of array.

One force breaks ten thousand methods.

He needed no thought, no calculation, no choice, no avoidance—only to draw arrays.

If a question came, he answered it; if an array was given, he drew it.

If he drew every single array, he would be the Number One in Array Art!

The competition continued.

Mo Hua kept drawing, from sixteen-stroke to nineteen-stroke arrays, not missing a single array, not a single stroke of the array pattern out of place.

Every nineteen-stroke array, no matter how difficult, he accepted without hesitation.

And his spiritual sense still appeared more than sufficient.

The Sida Sect prodigies moved from shock to serious attention, from serious attention to dread, from dread to terror.

Now, they even felt profound horror, bordering on despair.

This young "monster" from Grand Void Gate… younger than them by one generation…

No matter what array, he could draw it.

No matter what he drew, he never made a mistake.

He didn't miss a single array; not a single stroke of the array pattern was wrong!

And even now, his spiritual sense remained full, vast as an ocean, seemingly endless, unfathomable.

Like an invincible, terrifying foe.

Like an unreachable peak.

And this peak towered into the clouds.

They could not even determine how high this mountain truly was.

The pride they had carried since childhood as heavenly prodigies crumbled bit by bit.

Their Dao hearts were slowly collapsing.

A chilling, inescapable shadow gradually settled over them.

Shen Juncai of Qiandao Sect turned as pale as paper.

Xiaoyi of Heaven Sword Sect had lost all his poise and composure; his hand holding the array brush trembled uncontrollably.

Ao Li of Dragon Cauldron Sect broke into cold sweat, his head throbbing as if about to split.

Duanmu Xue of Wan Xiao Sect turned ashen, her expression filled with despair.

…

Under this terrifying, extreme pressure, Dragon Cauldron Sect was the first to fall.

He made three errors in array drawings and was eliminated.

The Tianjian Sect was second.

The Nineteen-Line Yunshan Huayu Array was obscure; he could not draw it, and he truly had no confidence to persist further.

Duanmu Xue of the Wan Xiao Sect came in third.

But Shen Juncai of the Qiandao Sect held on until the very end.

But that was all.

His spiritual sense was nearly depleted; he had no strength left to continue drawing.

Before losing, he mustered his courage, turned his head, and glanced at Mo Hua sitting in the corner.

Mo Hua's expression was utterly calm.

Moreover, he remembered Master Xun's advice to suppress his emotions and appear more composed, so he kept a stern face, cold gaze, and utterly indifferent expression.

To Shen Juncai, this truly resembled a monstrous array-being—unmoved by sorrow or joy, unattached to gain or loss, treating all living beings as straw dogs.

The shadow in Shen Juncai's heart now had a concrete form.

Trembling, he slowly set down his brush and sighed.

"I… lost."

From this point on, all the array prodigies of the Sida Sect had fallen.

The entire Grand Dao Hall was left with only Mo Hua.

At first, the surroundings fell into deathly silence; then, like oil poured over fire, voices erupted instantly into a deafening roar, and the entire Ludao Mountain seemed to collapse under a tidal wave of clamor.

"Is it over?"

"Damn my immortal wooden board—what did I just see?"

"Foundation Establishment mid-stage… number one in array?"

"Suppressed all four Sida Sects?!"

"Is this some kind of insane joke?"

"In Qianxue Province, this has never happened before…"

"I think… without realizing it, suddenly, I just witnessed the entire history of Qianxue Province?"

"My life is worth it now…"

The entire Ludao Mountain erupted in chaos.

The several elders of the Sida Sect sat like statues of mud and stone, frozen in their chairs, motionless, their hands trembling uncontrollably.

Outside, the atmosphere burned like fire; inside, their hearts were as cold as the ninth month of winter.

The Taixu Gate disciples now found it almost unbelievable.

"Really… won?"

"Our Taixu Gate… number one in array?"

"Our junior brother… is the Array Sovereign?"

"Our junior brother—the one who loves chicken legs, Foundation Establishment mid-stage—is the one and only Array Sovereign, towering above every array prodigy in all of Qianxue Province?!"

"Am I dreaming?"

"Someone slap me… no, better not—I'm afraid I'll wake up…"

Meanwhile, all the high-ranking members of the families who had come to observe were struck speechless.

Wenren Jingxuan, Shangguan Ce, and Gu Shouyan—the three clan heads—even though they had lived for centuries and weathered countless storms—now trembled deep within.

Could someone truly bite off this fat chunk from the mouths of the Sida Sect?

No, it wasn't just biting off a chunk—it was swallowing the entire Sida Sect whole, claiming the top spot in array with overwhelming dominance…

…

The grand hall atop the Dao Hall.

All the examiners exchanged glances, clearly seeing the shock and disbelief on each other's faces.

After a moment, one shook his head and sighed:

"Truly… a ghostly sight…"

"Unbelievable…"

"Qianxue Province is full of prodigies, but now I finally understand what true genius really means."

"An eye-opening experience…"

"Foundation Establishment mid-stage… is this even human?"

"The Array Sovereign at Foundation Establishment mid-stage…"

Someone exclaimed, "Indeed, the world is full of things beyond imagination…"

Even Master Wen, who hailed from the Tianshu Pavilion and was an array master himself, was now dazed, speechless.

As they chatted, they continued to marvel.

Suddenly, one examiner said:

"Why is this kid still sitting there?"

Everyone turned to look and realized that Mo Hua, who had already won, still sat calmly in place, expression indifferent, utterly motionless.

He guessed he had won.

But this was his first time participating in the Array Discussion Assembly; he didn't fully understand the rules and wasn't sure if more rounds remained.

What if he left too early and the examiners declared him defeated?

Master Xun had instructed him on many things—but he had never told him what to do if he won, if he took first place.

So he waited—for the examiners to announce the end.

But he didn't know that his astonishing array mastery and his current cold expression had imposed immense pressure on others, causing a certain degree of "misunderstanding."

As a result, the examiners began to whisper among themselves:

"He won—why isn't he coming over? What's the meaning of this?"

In past years, the disciple who won first place in Array Art always came to this hall, filled with joy and honor, to receive the chief examiner's award.

Now he won't come up—does he expect the examiners to go down to him?

This violates propriety.

"Could it be… he hasn't had his fill, and wants to keep drawing?" one examiner said.

"No way… could he really be so arrogant?"

"Such a prodigy must have an unusual disposition; strange thoughts are only natural."

"A freakish soul is inherently peculiar—impossible to judge by ordinary standards."

"Should we… keep testing him?"

The examiners exchanged glances, then finally turned to look at Chief Examiner Master Wen.

Master Wen stared at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with thought, then slowly spoke:

"Though the Array Contest is a competition among disciples, its true purpose is not to outdo or overpower other youths."

"It is to treat oneself, and the difficulties of array art, as lifelong opponents."

"To continually overcome obstacles, surpass oneself, and climb to the peak of array art."

"Thus, a true array contest is not about being stronger than others—but about being stronger than oneself."

"As long as one disciple remains in the contest, the Array Contest is not over."

The examiners felt deep emotion and nodded in unison: "Master Wen speaks truly."

"Then let him continue!"

"I'd like to see how many more arrays this brat can draw—after going from sixteen-lines to nineteen-lines, all the way to now. Can his spiritual sense really be made of iron?"

"Indeed, beyond mountains lie higher mountains; beyond heaven lies higher heaven. Even the most astonishing prodigy must understand this—or he will never go far…"

"Then let him continue."

"Good!"

Thus, the Array Contest resumed, and the examiners issued new problems.

Yet this time, the only disciple competing was Mo Hua.

The watching cultivators all looked stunned.

"Wasn't it over already? Why is he still being tested?"

"Did the rules change? Is this a playoff?"

"No one knows…"

Though confused, the crowd could only watch helplessly, bewildered.

Mo Hua was also surprised.

He had thought he was finished—but now he found there was still more.

But he did not refuse any challenge.

If more arrays were coming, he would simply keep drawing.

Master Xun had said: Don't worry about anything else—just keep drawing until the end.

And what he was best at was drawing arrays.

So Mo Hua continued, one array after another.

The Array Contest continued in this peculiar manner.

Soon, the examiners' expressions changed.

Mo Hua could still draw—he was still drawing!

These nineteen-line arrays had nearly covered all major types of arrays passed down by the sect, and their difficulty was nearly at the peak—yet Mo Hua still drew them flawlessly, effortlessly.

Had this not been Qian Xue Province, had this not been the Dao Discussion Mountain, had there not been so many True Persons watching closely…

They would almost have suspected this was some ancient demon cultivator of the Void-Cave realm above, possessing the body of a young disciple, come to disrupt the Dao Contest…

But clearly, it was not.

This young boy, though like a "monster," had a pure, upright aura—he was unquestionably a true cultivator.

And now, he was still drawing arrays with meticulous, serious precision.

Three more nineteen-line arrays were completed by him.

And it seemed Mo Hua could keep going.

The examiners looked solemn.

The disciples of the Sida Sect had lost; now, this prodigy's pressure had quietly fallen upon the examiners themselves.

Time passed slowly, and as expected yet utterly unforeseen, Mo Hua kept drawing array after array, all the way to the final "peak-sealing" array.

At this moment, everyone's heart tightened.

"Peak-sealing" meant sealing the peak—could this monstrous boy possibly overturn even the peak itself?

All the examiners turned to Master Wen, waiting for him to issue the "peak-sealing" question.

This question had been personally set by Master Wen; only he knew what it was.

None of those present had known beforehand.

At the same time, they regretted it.

"If only we hadn't pressured Master Wen last night—let him choose carefully, pick the hardest one."

"Who said 'just pick whatever'? What a damn stupid idea…"

"How could I have possibly foreseen this situation?"

An elder couldn't help but curse aloud.

But the matter has come to this; saying more is useless.

Master Wen wore a solemn expression as he slowly opened the final examination question.

This final "capping" question was engraved on a jade slip inlaid with gold—elegant, luxurious, and profoundly ceremonial.

And this capping jade slip was, in fact, a "symbol"; in nearly all prior Array Debates, it had never been "opened."

Today, it saw the light of day for the first time.

The examiners, hearts uneasy, carefully examined the jade slip and saw the question upon it—then slowly relaxed.

"No wonder Master Wen is so meticulous, so thorough in his planning."

"Yes, thank goodness Master Wen was overseeing this…"

"The capping array selected is exquisite."

"This array is not taught by any sect within the Qianxue Province—this prodigy has never studied it and certainly cannot draw it…"

The crowd felt reassured.

When this examination question reached Mo Hua, he too froze.

It was a second-rank array he had never seen before; Master Xun had never taught it to him, and it exceeded his current array knowledge.

Mo Hua's brush halted.

This was the first time since the Array Debate examination that he had stopped writing.

This array truly stumped him—he could not draw it.

But he had encountered far too many strange, obscure, and difficult arrays; his experience was vast.

Mo Hua began to closely examine the array diagram on the "capping" jade slip.

It was a second-rank array Master Wen had carefully selected, using "difficulty" as the standard, for the capping question.

The spiritual awareness demand reached the peak of nineteen patterns.

In addition, the array lines were complex and their meanings obscure.

The overall structure was also rare, vastly different from the orthodox array lineage currently taught in Qianxue Province—at least, from the lineages passed down to disciples.

The array also contained principles of spiritual energy transformation.

This already carried a hint of "absolute array"…

Spiritual energy transformation—half-step absolute array…

Mo Hua's eyes glinted faintly, then his pupils deepened as he began to dissect, deconstruct, and calculate the array lines, array pivots, and array eyes one by one…

Moments later, Mo Hua painstakingly unraveled from the underlying structure of this capping array the essence of this spiritual energy transformation:

Spiritual energy…

Reverse transformation!