Chapter 492: The Second Stage Examination

Chapter 492: The Second Stage Examination

November 16, 2024

Seeing her aunt still inquiring, Autumn Stream Rain remained silent for a while, no longer hiding anything.

She had been seen talking to Su Chen by her aunt earlier.

Her aunt's persistent questioning about the details was to find out why she had approached Su Chen and talked for so long.

"During the array setup, the mistakes I made were pointed out to me by the senior brother next to me," Autumn Stream Rain explained. "But I didn't take it seriously."

Hearing this, Autumn Yinan's face relaxed slightly.

She was worried that her niece might be hiding something from her, which was never a good sign.

"At first, I didn't think much of it and assumed that Senior Brother Su was just trying to get close to me. But when the Thorn Array encountered problems, I remembered his earlier reminder. That's when I quickly identified the issue and resolved it swiftly."

Autumn Yinan nodded. She didn't mind her niece talking to others, as long as it was within reason.

"So, what did you gain from your exchange with that senior brother?" she asked.

Autumn Stream Rain furrowed her brows slightly at the question. "It's strange. Senior Brother Su's proficiency in array techniques seems to fluctuate. The array he set up was effective, and he could quickly identify issues in others' arrays. However, he seems to have limited knowledge, or even misunderstandings, about the fundamentals of array techniques. I can't quite understand him, but he definitely has some skills."

After listening to Autumn Stream Rain's explanation, Autumn Yinan pondered for a moment. "If that's the case, I suspect he started with practical training and then went back to understand the fundamentals. Such individuals may have some practical skills, but they often lack flexibility because they don't grasp the core principles of array techniques. What they learn is just a template—a fixed pattern. An array master like this can only reach the Eighth Rank at best."

As Autumn Yinan spoke, she handed Autumn Stream Rain a meal.

The second stage of the examination was scheduled for the next day, and she wanted her niece to be well-rested.

As long as her niece was honest with her, Autumn Yinan wouldn't feel so anxious.

Autumn Yinan herself was an array master, but her talent was limited, and she had reached her peak at the Eighth Rank.

Now in her forties, she believed there was no further progress for her.

Her hopes now rested on Autumn Stream Rain.

Autumn Stream Rain's talent in arrays far surpassed her own.

"Stream Rain, we must pass the Eighth Rank Array Master examination this year. Only by reaching the Eighth Rank can you qualify for many of the Array Alliance's training and missions. These are the years when people have the best intuition and vigor. Delaying the Eighth Rank qualification by a year is a waste. The Qiu Clan needs an array master like you. The other branches of the Qiu Clan excel in martial arts, but we stand out in arrays. While we can live comfortably in the Qiu Clan, we must not give up on our heritage. To make a name for ourselves in the Qiu Clan, we must strive and work hard!"

This wasn't the first time Autumn Yinan had said these words.

For Autumn Stream Rain, they held little significance.

Often, it's not just about putting in the effort and devoting all your time to array cultivation to guarantee success.

Things don't always go as planned, and that's a common occurrence.

Moreover, Autumn Stream Rain wasn't lazy or playful; she had already tried her best.

"I understand, Aunt. I'll do my best," Autumn Stream Rain replied.

"Stream Rain, you must believe in your array talent. Your talent is not only excellent within the Qiu Clan but also ranks among the top in the entire Jin Kingdom. Even those array masters didn't possess such skills at your age. If you obtain the Eighth Rank qualification this year, it will bring honor to the Qiu Clan. In the future, you'll at least reach the Sixth Rank!"

After the meal, the aunt and niece retired for the night.

Lying on her bed, Autumn Stream Rain felt that much of what her aunt said was meaningless.

Confidence alone doesn't guarantee success.

It requires dedication and effort to achieve results.

What good is confidence alone? Autumn Stream Rain didn't argue with her aunt, knowing that she had invested a lot in her.

She hoped that Autumn Stream Rain would achieve excellent results, not only to vindicate herself but also to restore her own reputation.

Over the years, her aunt's heart grew increasingly anxious.

In her youth, Qiu Yinan believed herself to be exceptional.

But the appearance of Qiu Yuerong almost completely shattered her self-confidence.

Despite being several years younger, Qiu Yuerong's strength far surpassed her own.

There was one thing she could do better than Qiu Yuerong.

So, she delved into the study of array techniques, but her talent was limited.

Now, she placed her hopes on Qiu Xiuyu.

She hoped that her niece would achieve greatness, at least not falling far behind Qiu Yuerong.

The night passed.

The next day, at the second hour, everyone set off again.

They headed towards the location of the first stage of the examination from the previous day.

At this cliff, over a hundred thorn arrays had been set up the day before.

Surprisingly, beside these thorn arrays, there were even the corpses of minor demons.

Bloodstains were scattered everywhere.

The previous night, many demons had continued to descend from the cliff, attempting to infiltrate deep into Jin Kingdom's territory.

Demons possessed superior senses, but they lacked the ability to discern the presence of arrays.

The night before, they had assumed that there were no warriors guarding the area beneath the cliff.

Uninhibited, they infiltrated as they usually did.

But this time, as soon as they descended, they fell directly into the thorn arrays.

The intense pain caused the demons to go mad with the desire to escape.

However, the more they tried to flee, the more painful the stings became.

Some minor demons, unable to withstand the excruciating pain, fainted right there.

Their wounds bled profusely, and they lost their lives.

The more powerful demons with stronger physiques might survive.

But these thorn arrays were enough to teach them a lesson.

Today, they completed the adjustments to all the thorn arrays, ensuring there were no more gaps, and the problem was considered fully resolved.

The Array Masters of the Array Alliance were also called upon to adjust the problematic thorn arrays in front of their peers.

They fixed the problematic arrays, and for those that were severely flawed, they had no choice but to dismantle and re-establish them.

They worked tirelessly until everything was finalized.

After completing the task, the assessors of the Array Alliance announced the second stage of the examination.

Sixty-six people entered the second stage of the examination.

The final number of people who could pass was likely less than thirty.

The second stage had fewer spectators.

The Array Alliance had already announced that the second stage of the examination would take place on the front lines.

Further west was the front line of Jin Kingdom.

Beyond the border lay hundreds of miles of wilderness, and beyond that was Chu Kingdom.

Although this wilderness wasn't too wide, to the north was the Mingying Battlefield.

This region was still fraught with danger.

Ordinary people could only watch from a distance; going to the border front lines was out of the question.

If, by chance, celestial or earth demons appeared there,

The warriors would have their hands full and wouldn't be able to spare any attention for the civilians.

"For this second stage of the examination, the Array Alliance wants everyone to go to the front lines and exterminate demons!

Let's see how capable you are in setting up arrays in actual combat.

Exterminate one earth demon or twenty golden demons, and you will pass.

If you're unlucky and don't encounter these types of demons, you'll have to eliminate at least a hundred minor or major demons.

Whether you choose to work together or fight alone is up to you.

Either way, the requirement is the same, so if you choose to cooperate, you'll have to eliminate this many demons."

These rules didn't spark much discussion.

Except for Su Chen, who had come to take the examination on short notice, the others were already somewhat familiar with the process.

In the eighth-rank examination, there was also this step.

The difficulty of the eighth rank was ten times that of the ninth-rank Array Master examination.

The group headed west.

The team was still quite large.

Many of the examinees had senior sect members accompanying them.

These seniors naturally joined to ensure their safety.

This naturally increased the number of people.

Most of the Array Masters participating in this examination had average strength.

Some were even mediocre.

Therefore, the entire examination process required a significant amount of effort to protect everyone's safety.

There were also warriors guarding the border of Jin Kingdom.

Transcendent Masters were among them.

When the time came, they would assist in protecting the examinees, allowing them to set up their arrays with peace of mind.

The journey was slightly long, taking a full day to reach their destination.

The location they arrived at wasn't precisely on the border.

This area used to be a city.

Over three hundred years of demon disasters had reduced it to ruins.

Arriving at this area, one could still see the remnants of ruined walls.

This place was still within the borders of the Jin Kingdom.

However, there were no civilians residing here, making it essentially a wilderness frontier.

Strictly speaking, the border was still a two-day journey away.

After reaching this location, many people helped with setting up camp.

Quite a few Array Masters had been to this place before.

This particular area of the Jin Kingdom was notoriously troublesome.

Various Array Formations had been set up, but problems persisted.

This year, they had come here again to reinforce the defenses.

The camp was set up in the old city area.

The area designated for Array Formations was a bit further ahead.

It was already late, almost dusk.

The Jin Kingdom warriors stationed at the frontier should have been informed in advance.

Soon after everyone arrived, these warriors also showed up.

Leading a group of Array Masters, they went to inspect the area where the Arrays were to be set up.

This area was still about ten li west of their current location.

The surroundings were filled with ravines, creating a complex yet not overly treacherous terrain.

In this area, it was very easy to hide.

Demons, with their powerful perception, could sense the presence of warriors hiding within.

However, it was a different story for humans; it was extremely difficult to detect and capture the hidden demons.

Naturally, their gazes fell upon the Array Formations, hoping to rely on this method to solve the problem.

Starting tomorrow, they would set up Array Formations in this area to trap and kill the demons.

Top-tier Earth Demons were not easily killed by ordinary Arrays.

Therefore, after the Array Formations were set up, every morning, Transcendent Realm warriors would go to inspect them.

If there were demons trapped within the Arrays, these warriors would take action to eliminate them.

For powerful demons, as long as they could be restrained, that was enough.

This was also considered a contribution by the Array Masters.

Su Chen listened as those around him discussed the details, and the Array Alliance had indeed considered various situations.

Although the requirements for an Eighth Rank Array Master were high, they were not unreasonable.

The sixty-six Array Masters participating in the examination were all searching for positions, determining where they would set up their Arrays tomorrow.

This time, everyone would definitely not place their Arrays too close together.

With each person required to kill so many demons, how could they possibly handle them if the Arrays were too close? Nearing the wilderness frontier, demons were in abundance, but if they suffered losses in one area multiple times, the demons would surely choose to take a detour.

Ordinary demons weren't particularly intelligent, but they knew danger when they saw it.

The Arrays set up by everyone would have to be spaced apart.

Only sixty-six people were participating in the second stage of the examination.

With this number, even with some distance between them, it would be difficult to cover this entire area.

Each person chose their desired positions, and those who were acquainted discussed their choices.

They consulted beforehand to avoid disputes the next day.

After inspecting this area, everyone returned to the camp.

They ate some food, and darkness soon enveloped the sky.

Before preparing to rest, Autumn Stream Rain noticed that her aunt was not around and approached Su Chen.

"Senior Brother Su, can we cooperate tomorrow?

We can support each other, and if the number of demons we kill isn't enough, I can give you mine.

With two people combining our efforts, it will be much easier."

The Qiu Clan seemed to have a hard time accepting others' favors.

As long as someone helped them a little, they would insist on repaying the favor.

Previously, Autumn Stream Rain had received guidance from Su Chen once, and now she wanted to repay him.

Su Chen understood Autumn Stream Rain's intention, and her proposed method actually had a hint of cheating.

The Array Alliance's recognized cooperation required that after working together, they must achieve the required number of kills.

For example, if two people cooperated and killed one hundred and fifty small demons, it would be considered a failure for both, not a pass for one and a failure for the other.

What Autumn Stream Rain wanted to do was to secretly help him.

"Cooperation is fine, but you don't need to help me reach the required number.

If we pass this examination, we pass, and if not, we can try again next year.

If you engage in deception and the Array Alliance discovers it, you might face some trouble."

The Array Alliance's ranking wasn't of utmost importance to Su Chen.

The path of Array Formations was merely an additional skill he possessed; his true pursuit lay in the Martial Path.

The Autumn Stream Rain before him was fully dedicated to the cultivation of Array Formations.

If any issues arose, it wouldn't affect him much.

If the Array Alliance rejected her, her path as an Array Master might be ruined.

Seeing her hesitation, Su Chen smiled.

"Rest assured, I'll have many requests for you in the future, so don't worry.

For now, let's focus on passing this examination, and we can discuss other matters later."

Upon hearing this, Autumn Stream Rain nodded and said no more.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end