EFB Chapter 2172 Exquisite Skill
Chapter 2172 Exquisite Skill
The Eternal Void Time Array Classic and the Undying True Light Mirror—when Cao Feiyu introduced the cultivation methods to Chen Fei, she said that these two methods were meant to be practiced together and that neither could be omitted.
Chen Fei himself cultivated in the same way.
The next moment, under the watchful eyes of countless people, Chen Fei also moved.
He slowly raised his right hand, his ten fingers moving gently as if plucking invisible strings in the void.
"Buzz!"
The void trembled, and within a radius of nearly a hundred miles, silver array patterns woven directly from starlight and spatial veins surged forth like a tide.
The appearance of these array patterns was completely unexpected, as if they had always existed deep within the void and were only gently awakened by Chen Fei.
They also exude an aura related to the origin of space and time, and are exactly the same as the array patterns condensed by the bell, clearly also the array of the Eternal Space-Time Array Classic.
Moreover, Chen Fei's speed in condensing array patterns was significantly faster.
Zhong Ming required complex hand seals to guide him, while Chen Fei seemed to have the array patterns automatically generated, intertwined, and constructed with just a thought.
As if they possessed a life of their own, those array patterns actively met the array patterns set up by Zhong Ming. Instead of violently colliding with them, they cut in, entangled, and then dismantled them in a mysterious way.
The array patterns that Zhong Ming had painstakingly condensed seemed to have their bones removed; their light quickly dimmed, and their structure began to collapse and dissipate. As one side weakened and the other strengthened, Chen Fei's array patterns spread rapidly like wildfire, pressing in the opposite direction towards Zhong Ming's location.
They intended to use the enemy's own methods against them, employing their superior mastery of the Eternal Spacetime Array to seal off the bell's ringing.
Almost at the same moment Chen Fei raised his hand to condense the spacetime array patterns, a point of light silently lit up between his brows.
The light was not dazzling, but it gave people a sense of penetrating the heart and leaving them nowhere to hide.
The clear light flowed like water over Chen Fei, making him seem otherworldly. His eyes reflected the subtle flow of primordial energy and the trajectory of laws in the void.
Zhong Ming's seemingly complex and ingenious array construction process became slow and clear in his eyes, and every detail and every possible flaw was exposed.
A deathly silence once again enveloped the training ground.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden reversal.
Zhong Ming's use of the Eternal Void Time Array and the Undying True Light Mirror was entirely expected, given that he was a top genius of the Heavenly Array Peak.
But Chen Fei... he's from Cuiping Peak, a guy who used his Dao Ruins True Body to suppress his opponents, and now he's actually using the Eternal Void Time Array and the Undying True Suchness Spiritual Light Mirror.
Moreover, judging from this posture, Chen Fei's mastery of the Eternal Void Array Scripture seems to be even more profound than Zhong Ming's.
The array patterns are solid and profound, and can be constructed much faster, even capable of dismantling Zhong Ming's array. Furthermore, the spiritual light of the Undying True Light Mirror seems to be purer and more refined than Zhong Ming's.
The solemnity on Zhong Ming's face turned into complete shock the moment Chen Fei unleashed the Eternal Void Time Array.
He had expected Chen Fei to excel in array formations, but he hadn't anticipated that Chen Fei also practiced this very technique. He had cultivated this technique for thousands of years before achieving some success, and he knew how difficult it was.
Chen Fei not only knows how to do it, but judging from the purity of the array patterns, it is probably even better than his own.
Zhong Ming could clearly see that the nodes of his painstakingly constructed array pattern were cleverly cut off by the opponent's array pattern, the runes connecting his structure were quietly replaced by the opponent's array pattern, and the anchor points connecting him to the void were gently parted by the opponent's array pattern...
The entire process was fluid and effortless, filled with an indescribable beauty of formations, yet it sent a chill down Zhong Ming's spine.
This is not a brute force breakthrough; it is a crushing defeat of skill and a complete suppression of one's realm of understanding.
"This is impossible..."
Zhong Ming roared inwardly, his hand seals changing at an extreme speed, veins bulging on his forehead, and his internal energy surging out like a flood, trying to stabilize the formation and regain control.
He even went so far as to expend his divine soul power, pushing the Undying True Light Mirror to its limit, his brow and heart light shining brighter than ever before, in an attempt to see through the flaws in Chen Fei's array patterns and launch a counterattack.
However, it was all in vain.
Under Chen Fei's dismantling of the array patterns, which seemed to directly target the essence of the Eternal Time Array, all of Zhong Ming's efforts appeared pale and powerless. For every place he reinforced, Chen Fei would dismantle two.
He tried to change his formation, but Chen Fei's array patterns had already anticipated his change and blocked his path in advance.
As one thing diminishes while the other gains, the pale silver spacetime array patterns that Zhong Ming laid out began to dim, shrink, and disintegrate at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, Chen Fei's dazzling array of patterns, like the rising tide, moved forward silently and resolutely, enveloping Zhong Ming in its wake.
In just a few breaths, the balance of power shifted.
Originally, Zhong Ming set up an array to trap Chen Fei, but now Chen Fei's array patterns have taken over, enveloping Zhong Ming and the array puppet beside him.
Silver array patterns intertwined and spread above Zhong Ming's head, beneath his feet, and in the surrounding void.
An even stronger sense of spatial stagnation than when Zhong Ming had set up the formation descended upon him.
The flow of his Yuan energy slowed down, and the surrounding space seemed to become viscous and folded, giving him a suffocating feeling of having nowhere to put his strength.
This is the signature ability of the Eternal Time-Space Array Scripture when cultivated to a high level: spacetime delay. However, at this moment, it is not Zhong Ming who applies this delay, but Chen Fei.
"hiss!"
In the stands, many people gasped in shock.
"He countered! Chen Fei used the same formation to counter Zhong Ming."
"My God, am I seeing things? The disciples of Tianzhen Peak are being suppressed by other disciples using an array!"
“Look, Zhong Ming’s array patterns are being dismantled, while Chen Fei’s array patterns are surrounding him from the opposite direction. This clearly shows that Chen Fei’s mastery of these two techniques is even higher than Zhong Ming’s.”
"Senior Brother Zhong Ming is a once-in-a-millennium genius of array formations on Tianzhen Peak. He has been immersed in the Eternal Void Array Classic for who knows how long. How long has Chen Fei only been a beginner? Where does he get so much time to cultivate so many techniques?"
"A monster... truly a monster. His physical body is unbelievably strong, his mastery of formations is ridiculously high, and he even possesses a miraculous auxiliary skill like the Undying True Light Mirror... How exactly did he cultivate?"
"Could the gifts from the ancient Heavenly Court really be so extraordinary?"
Everyone was utterly shocked by this revolutionary scene. If Chen Fei's previous display of physical strength overwhelmed Wu Nianjiao, it was a display of pure power and beauty.
Now, with his superior mastery of array formations, he effortlessly countered Zhong Ming, demonstrating an absolute crushing advantage in skill and wisdom. The impact of this contrast was even stronger than before.
A cultivator renowned for his body refinement, using his opponent's most prized technique, achieved a reversal and suppression in the opponent's most proficient field of array formations.
This is not only a victory in terms of strength, but also a blow to one's spirit and beliefs.
Zhong Ming stared wide-eyed at the calm figure opposite him.
He originally thought that with his array skills, even if he was no match for Chen Fei's terrifying physical body, he would be able to hold his own and even find a way to counter him.
But reality dealt him a heavy blow. Chen Fei not only overwhelmed him in physical strength, but also suppressed him with absolute advantage in the field of array formation, which he was most proud of and most proficient in, leaving him powerless to fight back.
This all-encompassing, despairing disparity began to shake even the last vestige of Zhong Ming's will to win. His gaze towards Chen Fei, besides the initial solemn shock, now held a deep sense of powerlessness.
After a brief stalemate, the situation on the field took a sharp turn for the worse.
Zhong Ming exerted all his strength, pushing the Undying True Light Mirror to its limit. The light from his brow almost pierced through his body, and his hand seals were so fast that they were just afterimages.
He tried to stabilize the situation, even attempting to find a weakness in Chen Fei's array patterns to launch a counterattack. However, all his efforts were in vain.
Chen Fei's array patterns advanced steadily, yet with lightning speed. Little by little, they eroded and disintegrated the Zhong Ming array space, pressing forward relentlessly.
"Click, click..."
The faint sound of glass shattering rang out continuously; it was the sound of the bell's array nodes being breached one by one and the array pattern structure collapsing.
On the stands, the spectators watched intently as this rare, high-level battle of formations unfolded. Although most couldn't understand the intricate changes in the formations, the waxing and waning of the silver formation patterns were clearly visible to the naked eye.
Finally, under the watchful eyes of countless people, Zhong Ming's last defensive array pattern, entangled by Chen Fei's even more complex and profound array pattern, let out a mournful cry and completely collapsed, turning into specks of spiritual light and dissipating into space.
At this point, all the Eternal Spacetime Array Formations set up by Zhong Ming were completely dismantled and wiped out by Chen Fei. Chen Fei's array patterns then completely occupied this space, firmly surrounding Zhong Ming and his golden-armored puppet at the core.
But this is not over yet.
Chen Fei raised his finger and gently pressed it down.
"Buzz!"
The void trembled violently. The dazzling silver array patterns that permeated the surroundings and completely surrounded Zhong Ming were drawn by the power. In the blink of an eye, a silver array radiating spatial fluctuations and immense suppressive power took shape several feet above Zhong Ming's head.
The formation resembles an inverted silver ancient bell. On the bell's surface, the illusory images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, insects, and fish flow and shift, while countless intricate spacetime runes float and flicker within it.
"boom!"
The silver, ancient bell-like suppressing formation emitted a deep, resonant chime, carrying immense force as it crashed down upon the chime below and the puppet beside it.
"clang!"
As the silver ancient bell fell, the phantom images of the sun, moon, and stars slowly swirled on its surface, radiating an incomparably stable power of spacetime sealing.
Zhong Ming was trapped inside the bell, feeling as if all his connections with the outside world had been severed. His Yuan energy flowed sluggishly, and even his thoughts became slow, as if he had sunk into the deepest quagmire and was unable to move.
A grand formation suppressed both a person and a puppet.
"Senior Brother Zhong Ming... lost? In terms of formations... lost?" A disciple from Tianzhen Peak muttered to himself, his face filled with confusion and disbelief.
Zhong Ming is the pride of their Heavenly Array Peak, the figure they look up to. How could they possibly lose in the art of array formation to a guy from Emerald Screen Peak who mainly cultivates the body?
“Not only did we lose, we were completely suppressed.” A slightly older inner disciple from Tianzhen Peak stood nearby, his face pale and his voice hoarse.
"An invincible physical body, unparalleled mastery of formations... and that miraculous spiritual light technique that aids in perception... is this really a level that one person can achieve simultaneously?"
"Now, Chen Fei should really be able to get one of those three top-grade spiritual materials."
"Indeed, given the strength he has demonstrated, the other senior brothers and sisters really don't have much of a way to deal with him."
The stands erupted in chaos.
Shock, horror, disbelief, fervor, inquiry, awe... all sorts of emotions intertwined and transformed into a deafening roar.
After this battle, the name Chen Fei is no longer just associated with physical strength, but is also closely linked with terms such as all-around prodigy.
Within the Danchen Sect, the established impression that Tianzhen Peak was unparalleled in array formations was forcibly torn open by Chen Fei.
A disciple from Cuiping Peak has defeated the top expert of the same realm from Tianzhen Peak in a direct confrontation on the array path. This news will surely spread throughout the entire Danchen Sect at an astonishing speed.
Inside the silver ancient bell, time and space seemed to be completely frozen.
"Is this... the feeling of being suppressed by a more advanced Eternal Time-Space Array?" A bitter feeling welled up in Zhong Ming's heart.
He had practiced this scripture for many years and had used it to trap and suppress his opponents, but this was the first time he had personally experienced being suppressed by it, and so thoroughly and so helplessly.
At the center of his brow, the Undying True Light Mirror was activated to its fullest extent, its gentle light flickering desperately, attempting to penetrate the seal of the silver bell wall, to discern the structure of this Eternal Time-Suppressing Demon Array, and to find its weak point.
However, it was all in vain.
The Eternal Time-Suppressing Demon Array set up by Chen Fei was so exquisitely structured that when his spiritual light shone upon it, it was like a mud ox entering the sea; he could only see a deep and orderly network of array patterns, and could not find any obvious flaws or weaknesses.
The difference is too big!
Outside the arena, Chen Fei watched the bell struggling futilely inside the silver ancient bell, and with his fingers like a sword, he drew a line in the air.
Beside the first ancient bell used for suppression, the phantom of a second silver ancient bell slowly emerged and took shape, its energy connected to that of the first ancient bell, echoing each other from afar.
The power of suppression suddenly doubled.
But this is not over yet.
The phantom of the third silver ancient bell quietly condensed in another direction. The three ancient bells formed a triangular shape, surrounding the bell's chime in the center. Their energy was interconnected, and their array patterns complemented each other, forming an even larger composite suppression array.
"Buzz!"
The three ancient bells simultaneously emitted a deep resonance, their silver light shining brightly.
At this moment, Zhong Ming felt that not only his body and Yuan Power were suppressed, but also his soul, his thoughts, and all his connections with the outside world were completely isolated and sealed off by the three interconnected ancient bell formations.
He felt as if he had been banished to an absolutely frozen prison of time and space, where he could perceive nothing but endless silence and his own consciousness.
We lost!
They were utterly defeated.
Zhong Ming stopped all his futile struggles. "I give up."
The sound wasn't loud, and even sounded somewhat muffled due to the suppression of the formation, but the helplessness it contained clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
I admit defeat.
Zhong Ming, a direct descendant of Tianzhen Peak and the number one array master in the late stage of Tai Cang Realm, personally admitted defeat in his area of expertise.
On the stands, although it was expected, many people still felt a complex mix of emotions when Zhong Ming actually said "I admit defeat".
There was regret for Zhong Ming's defeat, shock at Chen Fei's formidable strength, and感慨 for the end of this exciting yet one-sided duel.
On the high platform, the elder in charge of the judgment nodded slightly.
In the arena, Chen Fei heard Zhong Ming admit defeat.
"You flatter me, Senior Brother Zhong."
Chen Fei's voice was calm, and he pointed his fingers like a sword at the three ancient bell phantoms that suppressed the bell's sound.
The three ancient silver bells that had suppressed a region of time and space instantly transformed from solid to ethereal, turning into specks of silver starlight that dissipated into space without leaving any trace.
"call!"
The pressure suddenly disappeared. Zhong Ming stood still, took a short breath to calm the churning blood and qi and the stagnant energy within his body.
He raised his head and looked at Chen Fei opposite him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
There were setbacks and resentment, but more than anything, there was a deep sense of admiration and complete acceptance.
“Junior Brother Chen’s understanding of formations is profound; I, Zhong, am completely convinced of my defeat.” Zhong Ming cupped his hands, his dejection barely concealed, but without any resentment or bitterness.
Chen Fei returned the greeting with a cupped hand, saying, "Senior Brother Zhong, you flatter me. It was just a fluke."
Zhong Ming shook his head, knowing it was just polite talk, but he felt a little better.
He paused, looked at Chen Fei, a sincere look flashing in his eyes, and said, "I have benefited greatly from today's battle with you, Junior Brother. If you have some free time in the future, you are welcome to visit Tianzhen Peak. There are many ancient fragments of array formations and insights from sages in the library on the peak. Perhaps we can exchange ideas and explore the wonders of array formations together."
This was a sincere invitation; Chen Fei's mastery of array formations had completely won over Zhong Ming.
Exchanging ideas with such an expert, even just a few words, could be incredibly beneficial for him. Perhaps they could even corroborate each other's insights and improve together.
Upon hearing this, Chen Fei smiled and nodded: "I will remember Senior Brother Zhong's kindness. I will definitely pay a visit in the future to learn from you."
"Alright, then I, Zhong, will await your arrival at Tianzhen Peak, Junior Brother." Zhong Ming smiled, cupped his hands to Chen Fei again, bowed to the elder on the high platform, and then turned and left without saying anything more.
"Chen Fei of Cuiping Peak wins!" The elder judge announced the result at the opportune moment.
With Zhong Ming's departure, this battle of formations officially came to an end.
Chen Fei's prestige and power reached a new peak at this moment. Everyone looked at him with awe, curiosity, and disbelief.
Just how many more tricks does he have up his sleeve? And where are his limits?
Just as Chen Fei used his exquisite array techniques to suppress the bell ringing of Tianzhen Peak in the main peak's martial arts arena, causing an uproar among the audience, another highly anticipated duel was also reaching its climax on the sword-fighting stage at the top of the third peak, not far away.
The Sword Debate Platform, as its name suggests, is a wide platform entirely paved with sword-testing stones. These stones have a unique texture, capable of greatly bearing and transmitting sword intent and energy, making it an ideal place for sword cultivators to compete.
At this moment, a fierce wind howled across the stage, and the clanging of metal echoed endlessly. Two figures were moving at high speed and clashing fiercely, attracting the attention of almost all the spectators around.
The two sides clashing were Cao Feiyu from Cuiping Peak. Her face was as cold and aloof as snow, and the Autumn Water Sword in her hand was now emitting a terrifying dark golden sword aura. Every swing carried a majestic power that could cut through everything and decide the fate of heaven and earth.
Her opponent was Ma Chi, a direct disciple of the Divine Archer Peak and also one of the top sixteen seeds in the competition.
Divine Archery Peak, as its name suggests, is renowned in the Danchen Sect for its archery skills. Its disciples are all skilled in long-range sniping, and their arrows are as swift as dragons, making them impossible to defend against.
As one of the most outstanding individuals in the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm at this peak, Ma Chi has cultivated his archery skills to an unparalleled level. (End of Chapter)