Chapter 487: Ninth Rank Array Master Assessment

Chapter 487: Ninth Rank Array Master Assessment

November 11, 2024

Among the crowd, someone couldn't help but chime in after hearing this statement.

"You make the array core sound so crucial. Then, shouldn't the concealment of the array core be even more valuable than the array pattern?"

The skepticism from the surrounding diners was not without reason.

This person had emphasized the importance of the array core, and if it wasn't concealed well, the array could be easily deciphered and dismantled.

All the effort put into creating the array patterns beforehand would be in vain.

Hearing this, the person beside him smiled.

"I didn't exaggerate the importance of the array core. It's just that when facing demons, those beasts don't have the ability to distinguish the array core.

So, for an array master, as long as their mastery of array patterns is sufficient, it already holds practical significance.

There's no need to worry about the array being easily destroyed."

This explanation made sense, and the other diners were convinced after hearing it.

Most of the time, the purpose of arrays is to counter demons.

The concealment of the array core only becomes a limitation when dealing with people.

When dealing with demons, such concerns are negligible.

Those beasts aren't that intelligent.

Even the celestial demons, whose intellect rivals humans, would find it challenging to comprehend the array.

They haven't even fully grasped human language and writing, so what could they possibly do? In fact, not only them, but there are countless people in this world who don't understand arrays at all.

Su Chen sat beside them, listening as the person continued.

Everything Su Chen knew about arrays came from the secret manuals left behind by Immortal Tranquil Wave.

What this person was saying differed greatly from what he had learned.

Especially in terms of concepts, it seemed to deviate significantly from Immortal Tranquil Wave's teachings.

Particularly, their views on array patterns were distinct. Immortal Tranquil Wave advocated for a stacking method.

In other words, Immortal Tranquil Wave preferred array patterns that were stacked layer by layer.

It was only after Su Chen carefully studied this that he gradually understood this point.

This type of array pattern gave the array a sense of gradation.

When an opposing target enters the array, it will receive a graded response, with each strike more powerful than the last.

But the array masters here had a completely different idea.

They preferred to create array patterns in one go, without interruption.

Under this concept, the array's response would be interrupted.

However, each time the array reacted, the feedback would be the most intense.

Su Chen merely listened and didn't fully believe it.

After all, this was just casual conversation among diners, and whether it was true or not would require consulting an authoritative array master.

After the meal, Su Chen wandered around Pishi City.

Pishi City had been bustling recently, even surpassing the liveliness of Yangchun City during the Spring Festival.

Moreover, many young people had come here.

Some came for the assessment, some to try their luck, and some to seek guidance.

There were more young people here than in many other places.

In the city, Su Chen saw the headquarters of the Array Alliance.

The center of the Array Alliance in the Jin Kingdom was located here.

Compared to Pishi City, which was filled with array-related elements, there were no arrays set up near the headquarters of the Array Alliance.

People came and went, some entering the headquarters, and some leaving.

They seemed to be delivering gifts, but Su Chen couldn't understand the purpose.

After leaving the headquarters, Su Chen continued his stroll.

Throughout the city, people could be seen explaining arrays everywhere.

The atmosphere was entirely different from that of studying other martial arts and cultivation techniques.

Here, the array masters were not afraid of others learning their methods.

Instead, they hoped that more young people would enter the world of arrays.

In recent years, the number of successor array masters had significantly decreased.

Of course, while they had this hope, they wouldn't accept disciples who lacked the necessary abilities as their successors.

During his stroll, Su Chen inquired about the upcoming process.

The day after tomorrow would be the assessment for ninth-rank array masters.

Those who wanted to obtain the Array Alliance's evaluation could participate in this assessment.

After the ninth rank, there were the eighth, seventh, and sixth ranks.

The assessment and evaluation for array masters of all ranks were conducted only once a year.

Array masters of all ranks would receive their evaluations during this time.

Su Chen didn't have a clear understanding of his array mastery.

He felt that he had achieved some minor success, but he wasn't sure what rank he would be evaluated at.

Seeing that there was an assessment for the ninth rank, he decided to give it a try.

According to the people around him, those who passed the assessment would become recognized array masters in the Array Alliance.

They could gain numerous benefits, the greatest of which, in Su Chen's opinion, was the connections.

After becoming a recognized Array Master by the Array Alliance, one would be considered an insider.

There are many opportunities to befriend top-notch Array Masters.

Some major events or important Array projects in Jin Kingdom would also be considered.

After registering, Su Chen waited here.

During the two days of waiting, Su Chen thoroughly explored Pishi City.

There were also some tea houses here, where people gathered to chat about the latest news.

The tea houses Su Chen visited before were specially arranged to attract newcomers to the city.

After this period of excitement passes, Pishi City won't have as many people discussing Array techniques.

Cultivation affairs are always tedious.

The perseverance of the people in Pishi City, who can discuss Arrays all year round, makes one feel like they could try becoming an Array Master.

Most people can't endure the cultivation path.

It's dull, tasteless, and disappointing.

After cultivating for months or years without progress, few can persist.

Many people, even when given the opportunity, still don't embark on the cultivation path.

Listening to their casual conversations, Su Chen learned about some of the more well-known Array Masters in the Alliance.

The most discussed was the leader of the Array Alliance, Marquis Lo Fei.

Many of the core members of the Array Alliance are solitary cultivators without any Sect backing.

The various Sects in Jin Kingdom would likely not want an Array Master from a specific Sect to control the Alliance.

No matter which Sect's disciple takes charge, it would cause significant issues.

Naturally, the person who ultimately controls the Array Alliance should be someone without any Sect backing.

Those Array Masters with connections only befriend the higher-ups of the Alliance.

After resting for two days, it was time for the Ninth Rank Array Master assessment.

Su Chen's current appearance was disguised, and he used the alias Su Xing.

The assessment location for Ninth Rank Array Masters was in the north of Pishi City.

Su Chen arrived early, but it didn't seem too crowded here.

There were no spectators for the Ninth Rank Array Master assessment today.

Some ordinary people from Pishi City came, along with a small number of newcomers to the city, to observe.

Regarding this assessment, most people didn't seem interested in spectating.

Su Chen saw some people chatting nearby and joined them.

He wanted to converse with them, hoping to gather some information.

Seeing Su Chen approach, these people didn't hold back.

In their conversation with Su Chen, they candidly explained the reason.

The ranking of Array Masters is an artificial imitation of Martial Arts rankings.

Due to some rules of the Array Alliance, Ninth Rank Array Masters are completely neglected.

Even if someone passes the Ninth Rank assessment today, they will only receive a certification proving their identity as an Array Master.

They won't even get an Array Master's robe.

In the Array Alliance, one must at least pass the Eighth Rank assessment to receive a robe as proof of identity.

To put it bluntly, passing the Eighth Rank assessment is considered truly joining the Array Alliance.

This is the reason why few people come to take or watch the Ninth Rank assessment.

The Ninth Rank assessment is more like a consolation prize for many people.

The flawless version is in Chapter 69! 6=9+Book_Exclusive First Release of this Novel

The difficulty of passing the Ninth Rank assessment is perhaps only one-tenth of the Eighth Rank assessment.

The Eighth Rank assessment is ten times harder than the Ninth Rank!

Many ambitious people directly participate in the Eighth Rank assessment.

Only those who don't understand or are from small towns would want a certification and come to take the Ninth Rank assessment.

By the Hour of the Snake, those taking the assessment have mostly arrived.

Most are middle-aged, and some are even elderly.

M

Before long, the assessors sent by the Array Alliance arrived.

These Array Masters are at least Sixth Rank Array Masters.

They are considered the backbone of Array Masters in Jin Kingdom.

This also shows that the Array Alliance values the assessment of Array Masters.

Even for the Ninth Rank assessment, they still send several Array Masters to handle it seriously, without any carelessness or perfunctory behavior.

The assessors approached and noticed the middle-aged and older ones, nodding.

"If you can't pass the Eighth Rank assessment, there's no need to be overly attached.

After passing the Ninth Rank assessment, returning to cultivate is a good choice.

My mentor, You Mingshan, was a Ninth Rank Array Master.

Being overly attached, with one's mind fixated on a single thing, will only waste one's life.

This Assessors named You Mingshan seemed to be acquainted with several participants who had come to be assessed.

From his words, Su Chen also heard some news.

As expected, the older-looking ones here should have participated in the Eighth Rank Array Master's examination multiple times, but all had failed.

That's why these Assessors spoke of them in such a manner.

The middle-aged and elderly participants expressed their gratitude, but also looked at You Mingshan with some guilt.

They bowed to him in respect.

Regarding the group of Array Masters, Su Chen felt that they indeed needed to be more harmonious.

Looking around, where else would there be such a situation?

Not being ridiculed or mocked was already a blessing.

After all the Assessors had gathered, they began to call out names.

The registered members responded accordingly.

Some were absent, so the Assessors waited for a quarter of an hour.

In the end, there were a total of twenty-three participants for the Ninth Rank Array Master's examination.

It was known that this was the number of participants from Jin Kingdom and its neighboring countries who had come to take the exam.

This seemed somewhat out of place with the lively atmosphere in Pishi City.

With so many people in Pishi City, only twenty-plus individuals had come to take the exam.

In the open space ahead, twenty-plus desks had already been set up.

Ink, paper, and inkstones were all prepared.

Su Chen found a spot to sit down.

Next was the formal examination for the Ninth Rank Array Master.

This was Su Chen's first time here, so he wasn't familiar with the examinations for other ranks.

Seeing this situation, he was indeed a bit surprised.

He didn't expect that they would also be required to answer some basic common knowledge questions.

The Assessors in the center began to ask questions.

They asked from above, while Su Chen and others answered below.

They just needed to write down the answers to the questions, which were marked with serial numbers.

Listening to their questions, Su Chen found some of them to be quite unclear.

In the book left by Immortal Tranquil Wave, many were not mentioned.

Of course, Su Chen knew the answers to most of the questions.

The content in Immortal Tranquil Wave's book had differences from the mainstream Array Technique concepts of the time.

But after all, they were Array Techniques, and their core principles were similar.

They all activated the Array Patterns through the Array Foundation to unleash their effects.

It was just that in the details, there were many differences, and in understanding, there were discrepancies.

Su Chen could only answer according to his understanding.

He couldn't just write nonsense.

In half an hour, they asked a total of ten questions.

After submitting his written answers, it was immediately time for the second part of the examination.

Moreover, the entire Ninth Rank Array Master's examination only had two parts.

The first part was written, and the second part was practical, where they actually set up Array Techniques.

The examination location was also on a flat area not far away.

This was a specially cultivated flat ground, incredibly smooth and without any pits or depressions.

Setting up Array Techniques on this surface should reduce the difficulty by seven or eightfold.

In reality, such a situation should rarely occur.

Where would they be so lucky to have such a smooth area for everyone to set up Array Techniques?

If it was for sect defense, sometimes they could specially cultivate a smooth area.

But in most cases, Array Techniques were used to deal with demons.

How could there be such conditions in the wild frontier?

As they walked onto the open space, each person was assigned a section.

The Array Techniques they set up were all within their respective areas.

In front of them, there was also an example Array Technique, which should have been set up in advance by higher-ranked Array Masters.

The Array Foundation was stable, and the Array Pattern flowed smoothly.

This was definitely set up by Array Masters with some skill.

After they all arrived, the Assessors gave them an hour.

There were no other complicated requirements, just one.

To replicate the Array Technique in front of them and successfully activate it.

On such a smooth ground, this was already a very simple and straightforward requirement.

Su Chen didn't hesitate much, picked up the tools for setting up Array Techniques, and began to set up this Array Technique.

The Array Technique in front of him was called the Sealing Array.

This was a very basic Array Technique, whose core function was to block sounds and smells.

Stepping into the Array Technique would cause one to lose judgment of external sounds and smells.

To many, this was an Array Technique with no use.

But Su Chen had some research on this Array Technique.

Many people thought this Array Technique was useless because they didn't understand it thoroughly enough, and the Array Technique user's power was insufficient.

To bring out the effect of the Sealing Array, first, the Array Technique had to be large and wide enough.

It had to be at least ten zhang wide.

Second, it had to be hidden enough to activate silently without a trace.

It made people enter the Sealing Array without realizing it, completely unaware that they had already fallen into the Array Technique.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end