Chapter 105: The Shanghe Array Tower Mission!
Three people had failed the assessment. Old man Li Zhong was one of them, another was a middle-aged man whose talent was only mediocre; he had failed as well. The third was a young man who, despite possessing basic array talent, failed due to his shaky foundational grasp.
"Next, I will announce the number of loopholes each of you found!" Chen Yao declared.
"Li Dehai, you found one loophole!"
"Zhang Keke, you found two loopholes!"
"Chen Dong, you found four loopholes!"
At that moment, Chen Dong was so excited he could barely contain himself. He shot a provocative glance at Ye Tian. He was no longer afraid of offending Ye Tian. As far as he was concerned, he had become a basic array master and a member of the Array Master Association. What could a grandmaster like Ye Tian do to him, especially when he had no intention of leaving the Demon Sea Base? He was fearless!
"Ye Tian, you found seven loopholes and are the only one who found all of them!" Chen Yao walked over to Ye Tian and said, "Your talent must be high-level. This flawed Small Azure Cloud Array was set up by a high-ranking master, and only someone with high-level array talent can find all the loopholes at the basic array master level."
High-level array talent? Chen Dong looked at Ye Tian incredulously, his face filled with despair and jealousy. He himself only had basic array talent, and although it was better than average, it couldn't compare with high-level array talent. The two were in entirely different leagues.
"That's correct," Ye Tian admitted without argument.
"Ye Tian, if you're willing to test your array talent, the Array Master Association will award you an extra 1000 points once your talent level is confirmed. Would you like to take the test?" Chen Yao inquired.
Testing talent was a confidential matter, and the loosely organized Array Master Association didn't compel anyone to disclose their array talent level; it was all voluntary. The association wouldn't force any array master. If Ye Tian chose not to test, they wouldn't compel him, but they would also not offer any additional rewards.
"Master Chen Yao, may I ask how many points are required for the Qi Gathering Array design diagram?" Ye Tian suddenly asked.
"For a design that can gather qi threefold, it requires 500 points; fivefold requires 1000 points, and sixfold needs 2000 points," Chen Yao explained.
But he was a bit puzzled. Why was Ye Tian suddenly asking about this?
"2000 points for a sixfold Qi Gathering Array diagram?" Ye Tian frowned slightly.
Gathering energy sixfold didn't necessarily mean one could cultivate six times faster. If that were the case, cultivation would be too easy. The amplification depended not only on the concentration of energy but also on one's own talent for cultivation. According to Ye Tian's calculations, if he cultivated in a sixfold energy environment, given his Morning Star level cultivation talent, his cultivation speed should increase by threefold. For someone at the Transcendent level, doubling the speed would be good, and those with top-level talent could at most increase their speed by 1.5 times.
"I must buy that sixfold Qi Gathering Array design. If I take the talent test, I can get 1000 points. Plus, the 700 points from this assessment and the 100 points won from Chen Dong, I would have a total of 1800 points. I would then be only 200 points short of 2000," Ye Tian calculated.
Immediately, he nodded, "Alright, I'm willing to take the test."
"Excellent, I'll get the Array Talent Testing Orb right away," Chen Yao said excitedly.
Having successfully recruited an array master with high-level array talent, once confirmed, would mean he could earn extra points for this assessment task. That's why he was so eager.
"Master Chen Yao, the testing orb won't reveal other talents, will it?" Ye Tian asked in advance, lest his hidden talents be exposed.
"No, it won't!" Chen Yao assured him immediately. "The Array Master Association wouldn't do something like prying into others' private talents. Our testing orb can only evaluate array talents."
"Then I'm relieved," Ye Tian said.
Soon after, Chen Yao brought over a testing orb to measure Ye Tian's array talents.
The test ended quickly—
"Indeed, you have a high-tier array talent. Congratulations, you've earned an extra 1000 points from the Array Master Association!" Chen Yao said, somewhat envious.
After all, even for him, earning 1000 points at once was a difficult task. Who wouldn't envy Ye Tian for so easily achieving 1000 points? But there was no helping it; those with great talent received such treatment.
Shortly thereafter, Chen Yao distributed array master badges and point cards to the seven examiners. Points were stored on the point cards, which could only be used by the individual it was tied to, rendering it useless to anyone else.
"Chen Dong, 100 points!" Ye Tian demanded.
Not daring to offend Ye Tian, Chen Dong relented. If Ye Tian had merely been a grandmaster, Chen Dong wouldn't have felt pressured, but Ye Tian was a high-tier array master, destined to climb high within the Array Master Association.
"Grandmaster Ye Tian, I apologize, I was wrong. I'll give you the 100 points right away!" Chen Dong capitulated, unashamed. After all, who would dare not yield before a grandmaster with high-tier array talents?
"Turn it over," Ye Tian said indifferently.
Once Chen Dong transferred the 100 points, Ye Tian completely disregarded him. Spending time on such an inconsequential person would be a waste.
Array Master Association, first-floor task hall—
Ye Tian was looking at tasks, seeking to quickly earn the 200 points.
Tasks flashed by at high speed; Ye Tian examined each, but most were not suitable for him, either requiring too much time or too high a skill level.
Suddenly, a task caught Ye Tian's eye:
[Shanghe Array Tower Task: Accept the task to gain entry into the Shanghe Array Tower. Can be accepted once a year. Requirements: Grandmaster, high-tier array talent, and at least beginner-level array skill. Missing any one disqualifies. Points rewarded depend on completion.]
Stunned by the task, Ye Tian wondered if it had been prepared specifically for him, but the date it was posted indicated otherwise; the task had been hanging there for decades.
"I'd like to take the Shanghe Array Tower task," Ye Tian announced at the counter.
"Please hand over your ID card," the staff member stood up, very polite.
Anyone qualified to accept the Shanghe Array Tower task would have to be an individual with high-tier array talents; such a person was undoubtedly a high-level array master. Even a king would be polite to a high-level array master.
Ye Tian handed over his ID card. The staff member quickly confirmed his qualifications.
After accepting the task, Ye Tian received some information about the Shanghe Array Tower.
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