No one dared to answer.
The disciples in the hall all looked towards the three Golden Core Elders sitting above them.
The expressions of the three Golden Core Elders were gloomy.
They had clearly underestimated this Junior Formation Master.
Their initial plan had been to use the disciples of the Five Elements Sect to deal with this Junior Formation Master, as a test.
Then, the Formation Mysterious Sect and the Shen Family would send out their talented disciples to handle the brother and sister who were like dazzling dragons and radiant phoenixes.
But now, they were close to being defeated by this "test water" Junior Formation Master...
Whether it was due to naturally strong Divine Sense or a heritage in the art of Formations, this Junior Formation Master was a tough nut to crack.
The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family transmitted a message, "What should we do?"
The Chief Elder's gaze shifted as he said in a deep voice,
"At this point, this competition is no longer just about the loss or gain of a single sect; it's about the honor and disgrace of an entire state boundary. In our Dali Mountain State boundary, Formation geniuses are plentiful. If we even fail to defeat this Junior Formation Master, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment?"
Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family frowned.
What the Chief Elder said was deliberately alarmist to drag them into this.
But they couldn't deny it either.
That was indeed the fact.
However, Sect Leader Chu had reservations, "Even if we win against this Junior Formation Master, there are still his senior brothers and sisters..."
"Otherwise," the Chief Elder's eyes flashed with a thought, "I suspect that this Mr. Zhuang might be bluffing..."
"This young Cultivator already has an astonishing talent."
"Such talented Formation Masters are not cabbages; they can't be found just anywhere."
"Even if his senior brothers and sisters are stronger than him, I estimate they can't be that much stronger..."
Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family both nodded.
When put that way, it really did make some sense.
Once the bow has been drawn, there's no turning back. At this point, they had to bite the bullet and press on.
"Being capable of a First-grade Ultimate Formation means the foundation within the realm of first-grade Formations must be extremely deep. Any further tests on our part are unlikely to give us any chance of winning."
"Many of our earlier arrangements are now redundant."
"We can only test with some more unconventional methods..."
...
After discussing through Divine Sense transmission, the Chief Elder then addressed Mo Hua:
"Junior Gentleman..."
His form of address also became a few degrees more respectful.
Being able to draw a First-grade Ultimate Formation in the Qi-refining Realm, he was as deserving of the title "Gentleman" as Mr. Zhuang.
"Do you understand how to decipher Formations?" asked the Chief Elder.
Mo Hua nodded, "Somewhat."
Sect Leader Chu nodded.
Then, another disciple stepped forward from the crowd and with a cupped fist salute said,
"Junior Chu He, with only average accomplishments in Formation arts but a fondness for 'Formation Explanation'. I have a bit of insight, although my skills are not refined. I would like to ask for guidance from this Junior Formation Master."
Indeed, Formation Explanation is a niche art within Formations.
Apart from descendants of Noble Clans or Sect disciples who have inherited Formation methods, few Formation Masters spend time studying Formation Explanation.
Most Cultivators focus on breaking Formations rather than explaining them.
Breaking a Formation is noisy but straightforward, whereas explaining a Formation is discreet but complex and profound.
Although Mo Hua was very adept at Formation Explanation and used it quite often, having mastered it thoroughly,
he also remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said. Mr. Zhuang had stated that Formation Explanation was a way for Formation Masters to "augment intelligence" and "recreate," difficult and niche, with few learners.
Now, Mo Hua knew that what Mr. Zhuang called "augment intelligence" and "recreation" was definitely not the same as what ordinary people would consider.
In truth, Formation Masters proficient in Formation Explanation are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
The Examination posed by the Chief Elder was also extremely straightforward.
Explain a Compound Formation.
See who gets it right and who does it faster.
Mo Hua felt rather unenthusiastic upon seeing the Compound Formation.
It was indeed too simple.
It was just a Compound Formation consisting of three Single Formations, with only one of them being a nine-pattern Formation, while the others were a seven-pattern and an eight-pattern Formation.