Chapter 432: Shen Zongzhu Who Specializes in Shattering Dao Hearts

"..."

Li Qingfeng instinctively stepped away from Tong Xinchuan; with that sarcastic skill of hers, if he kept following her, he would sooner or later get beaten to death.

Sure enough, Feng Yan, who was just about to slink into the crowd, heard these words, and his already flushed face nearly burst with blood.

He rushed back to the table in two or three steps, clenching his fists.

His eyes bulged, he gasped for air, and finally cast a pleading gaze toward Zhu Shixiong Yan.

"Huff."

Yan Wencheng ignored him, instead quietly watching the little girl before him.

He saw Xu Xu Qinger fiddling with her fingers, her eyes full of expectation, showing not a shred of fear.

Showing off...

Glancing back at the silent Elder Yang, Yan Wencheng withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, smiled, and shook his head, then waved his hand to disrupt the array formation that was already half set up.

It was an ordinary Transformation of Spirit Realm trapping array.

He saw his hand wave again.

Array talismans tens of times more complex than before quietly settled onto the array disk.

It was also a Return to Emptiness Realm great formation, also part of a great formation.

And unlike the test question deliberately left by Tie Hua Tiehua Yingou's Soul-Refining Heaven Silk, Yan Wencheng relied on his own experience to alter the array talismans, imitating Tong Xinchuan's manner to double the difficulty of this array once more.

"..."

Tong Xinchuan stared tightly at the array disk, her pupils shrinking slightly, then she felt some regret.

Was I a bit too much just now?

But facing such a colossal power as Qingyue Sect, he only had Tie Hua Tiehua Yingou's killing array to offer; if he used any other array, he truly might not be able to match the solid hard power of these Qunmeng Sect cultivators.

To say it was a narrow victory was not being sarcastic.

He awkwardly glanced at Aqing; fortunately, the little girl's mind was entirely on the array disk.

"What is this all about?"

Outside the hall, Liu Qianyun heard the commotion and couldn't help but look inside.

She held her forehead, feeling slightly troubled.

She only wanted to find some quiet, never expecting that trouble would arise.

She quietly entered the hall, came to Elder Yang's side, and whispered again.

However, this time.

Elder Yang seemed not to hear, ignoring this beautiful executive who had an elder for a father.

He would never actively strike at the disciple he valued most.

Victory is victory, defeat is defeat.

What kind of thing is letting off steam?

Could it be that the face of a so-called "Shen Zongzhu" who just entered Return to Emptiness is more important than his own disciple's Dao heart?

"Just wait to be punished!" Liu Qianyun helplessly glared at him.

"Elder Liu values rules above all; I do not feel I have done anything wrong." Elder Yang felt no fear of the threat at all; the entire sect knew Elder Liu's character.

As the words fell, Yan Wencheng had already stopped, pushing the array disk toward the little girl: "Please."

Both expression and movement were exactly the same as Tong Xinchuan's earlier actions.

If you say he didn't do it on purpose, who would believe it?

Feng Yan's face, like pig liver, regained a smile; Zhu Shixiong Yan intended to avenge this insult for him today!

However, the next moment, his eyes widened.

He saw the little girl nod seriously, then pour her soul into the array disk, without even thinking, rapidly condensing numerous array-breaking items.

"..."

Yan Wencheng sighed in his heart.

Both were setting up an array in front of him; Feng Yan only knew how to stare with wide eyes, while this little girl, while he was setting up the array, was already thinking about how to break it.

This gap was undeniably huge.

Of course, thinking is one thing; whether it is knowledge and experience or array proficiency, these things cannot be compensated for by mindset alone.

Xu Xu Qinger soon fell into a predicament.

But the excitement on her face grew even more intense, as if she had encountered some precious delicacy and was savoring it carefully.

As time passed.

Her forehead became covered with sweat beads, and her small face gradually turned pale.

The other disciples looked on in confusion, able to infer the situation only from Zhu Shixiong Yan's expression.

Yan Wencheng's expression was focused; his two palms, placed separately on the table, slowly closed together.

Elder Yang also stood up, walking step by step downward, standing behind Xu Xu Qinger, unconsciously beginning to stroke his beard.

Finally, a hand rested on Aqing's shoulder, directly interrupting her array-breaking.

"Uh?"

Xu Xu Qinger turned her head blankly to look back.

"That's enough." Shen Yi pushed away the array disk in front of her.

Yan Wencheng suddenly raised his eyes, staring tightly in that direction.

Elder Yang also shook his head slightly dissatisfied; the line of thought for breaking the array was entirely correct, but unfortunately, hindered by the Qi Refining realm, her soul strength was far too weak to sustain it.

"Oh, alright."

Xu Xu Qinger wiped her sweat, just about to stand up, but her steps wavered slightly, and she fell into Shen Yi's arms.

She instinctively wanted to stand, hesitated for a moment, then her body suddenly seemed to lose all strength completely.

"Stop pretending."

Shen Yi rolled his eyes at her, lifted her up, and set her down in her seat.

With his current strength, how could he not see that this girl's exhaustion was precisely calculated to break her at that very threshold; if she continued further, she might truly damage her soul and spirit.

"Oh—"

Aqing pouted, then obediently sat down.

The other disciples remained utterly confused, wondering why no one was speaking and what exactly was going on.

But the formation definitely hadn't been broken, so that must mean Zhu Shixiong Yan won.

Tong Xinchuan glanced oddly at Yan Wencheng, then suppressed a smile and sat back down with feigned calmness.

"..."

Yan Wencheng exhaled a breath and slowly stood up.

How did such a serious matter regarding the formation turn into an atmosphere of intimacy?

He looked at Aqing again: "Only the final step remains; please endure a bit longer."

Before he finished speaking.

Shen Yi suddenly glanced over casually.

Elder Yang silently turned his gaze to this disciple, feeling somewhat helpless; that young girl had indeed seen through the useless formation talismans Senior Yan deliberately added, and the so-called final step did not necessarily mean the formation could truly be broken.

But once that step was taken, the rest was merely a matter of time; perhaps several months, or perhaps several years, but the outcome was destined.

Such a blow might be a bit too sudden.

"Forget it, go back and sit down."

Elder Yang reached out, pulled him to his side, patted Yan Wencheng's shoulder, and said: "Realm is also part of strength; your mind has been focused on the Killed Fanxu formation, and you have not deliberately studied the Transformation of Spirit Realm, so we can barely call it a draw."

Upon hearing these words, it was as if cold water had exploded into hot oil, and the great hall erupted in an uproar.

Feng Yan looked at Aqing in disbelief; what did "barely a draw" mean? In other words, he was overpowered by strength and had actually lost in terms of formation technique.

"I..."

Yan Wencheng closed his eyes, then after a moment forced his eyelids open, bowed to Aqing, and said: "No need to deceive yourself; Yan is simply not skilled enough."

"But those moves just now were indeed not my strong suit."

He shifted his tone, turned his gaze toward Shen Yi beside him, and said: "Fellow Daoist is also in the Killed Fanxu Realm; please grant me the honor of a lesson."

Li Qingfeng had not yet reacted, but Tong Xinchuan and Xu Xu Qinger both showed anticipation in their eyes; Shen Yi's mastery of formations was well-known, being the supreme expert within the General Nanyang Sect, yet both had rarely witnessed him arranging formations in person.

"..."

Shen Yi did not quite understand why these two allies beside him were making such a fuss.

His mastery of formations was somewhat unique.

If he had seen it before, he could handle it effortlessly; if he had not seen it, there was little hope.

The Qingyue Sect competed in formations; they certainly could not use the content of the Xu family or the Refining Spirit Heavenly Silk.

"Brother Daoist, please grant me the honor of a lesson!"

Yan Wencheng bowed again; it was clear he truly wanted to exert his full strength to prove himself.

At this moment, Elder Yang, enduring Liu Qianyun's angry glare, slowly drew a formation diagram from his sleeve: "This is the Five Elements Precious Lotus Great Formation; Senior Yan has not learned it, and Shen Zongzhu certainly has not seen it either; let us use this formation as the subject, which would be the fairest."

"The Precious Lotus Formation is divided into nine styles, and each style is further divided into one hundred and eight diagrams."

"In three days, whoever arranges more will be declared the winner?"

It was clear he truly treated Yan Wencheng like his own son; even at the risk of offending Elder Liu, he wanted to restore the other's confidence.

Shen... Zongzhu?

As soon as these three words were spoken, all the disciples nearby showed expressions of horror.

They roughly knew about the General Nanyang Sect reappearing in the world, but they did not know there was also a Zongzhu involved.

Feng Yan also felt a chill of fear.

Even though this youth did not appear to possess the aura and realm expected of a Zongzhu, simply by virtue of that title, dealing with an ordinary inner sect disciple like him would be a matter of a single sentence.

"..."

Shen Yi felt the complex gazes of those around him.

He casually took the formation diagram from Elder Yang's hand and then studied it intently.

"Thank you."

Seeing this, Yan Wencheng finally showed a smile, took a copy of the formation diagram as well, sat back down with focused expression, his eyes sharp as torches.

This was the field where he was most skilled.

Tong Xinchuan and Xu Xu Qinger suppressed their curiosity, standing quietly behind Shen Yi, wanting to see how he would break the deadlock.

Time slowly passed.

About one incense stick later, Shen Yi finally put down the formation diagram.

Yan Wencheng's thoughts stirred slightly, but he quickly dispelled all distracting thoughts, determined not to be affected by any of the other's movements.

Elder Yang looked at Shen Yi in confusion, and the other disciples were also slightly stunned; what was he doing? Was he not going to compete anymore?

"Is there something wrong with this formation diagram?" Tong Xinchuan asked in a low voice.

"It shouldn't be."

Shen Yi was not entirely sure either; he took the formation disk, his movements not as swift as Tong Xinchuan's or Yan Wencheng's.

Neither hurried nor slow, meticulous and precise.

His movements were so exact it was as if he had arranged them tens of thousands of times before.

The moment Shen Yi made his first stroke, Elder Yang could not help but frown tightly.

The complexity of the array diagram that left his hand was naturally understood by no one better than him.

Even with Xiao Yan's talent, fully mastering this array would require at least a decade of study; in three days, being able to sketch the rudimentary outline of even one diagram would be good enough.

If you truly do not wish to compete, you need not have reached out to take the array diagram.

Since it has already begun, such behavior is truly somewhat disrespectful.

However, it was only a few breaths of time.

Elder Yang's expression froze, for under Shen Yi's soul infusion, the first lotus petal had quietly appeared on the array disk.

"..."

No one knew how much time had passed.

Shen Yi set down the array disk, stood up again, and said calmly to Elder Yang: "That will be all for today; I will not disturb the Elder's lecture on the Dao."

Listening in is one thing, but if our presence turns the lecture hall into such a state, it is hardly necessary.

"I take my leave."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, making no effort to tidy his sleeves; he stepped forward, passed through the crowd, and walked toward the hall's exit.

Li Qingfeng was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly followed.

Xu Xu Qinger instinctively wanted to leave, but her gaze inadvertently fell upon the array disk.

She saw dense array symbols layered upon one another, forming a blooming, magnificent treasure lotus on Fang Zheng's sand table!

Stunningly beautiful, yet brimming with a profound, vast aura!

She stood with her mouth agape, her breathing quickening.

Tong Xinchuan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably; his steady hands, accustomed for years to controlling the God-Forging Heaven Silk, now trembled violently.

His years of understanding suddenly began to collapse rapidly.

He froze in place as if struck by lightning.

Elder Yang picked up the array disk, turned sharply to look toward the hall's exit, only to find that the young man had already gone far.

He hastily called out, trying to stop him: "Shen..."

But he suddenly remembered the young man's identity; how could he be one whom he could summon at will?

The Elder's actions seemed to be announcing something to the other disciples; they turned in unison toward the hall's exit, their expressions nearly identical in their stiffness: "..."

The entire hall was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Such a commotion eventually affected Yan Wencheng.

He helplessly moved the array diagram aside, only to see that Shen Yi opposite him had already vanished; just as he was about to ask, his gaze likewise fell upon the array disk in Elder Yang's hand.

Immediately after.

Rrrrip—

The array diagram in Yan Wencheng's hand suddenly split in two; he forced himself upright, trying to step forward, but suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady, stumbling back into his seat.

All that came from his mouth was a dull question: "Did he just set this up? Is this the Treasure Lotus Great Array? Elder, where did the array diagram come from?"

Three consecutive questions, nearly covering every other possibility.

Yan Wencheng, who had been able to admit defeat openly before A Qing just moments ago, was now desperately searching for various excuses and reasons, utterly unable to accept what lay before him.

"I..."

Elder Yang opened his mouth; facing his most cherished disciple, he could think of nothing for a long while, of how to restore the other's confidence.

Let alone Xiao Yan, even he himself felt somewhat dazed at this moment.

(End of this chapter)