The Test

The Pill House and Arsenal supplied all the pills and weapons the sect needs. They were like factories. Each formation had to be built on site and therefore it did not need a factory. Formation flags and disks have a small market and the makers usually made them at the comfort of their residences. So the Formation Master's College was a place of learning. Unlike alchemy and tool refining, formation masters of all grades can be found in the College, mainly because of the assist formations that helped test their theories.

There was also a store within that sold formation building materials at a lower price than outside the sect. There were many fancy instruments that made the College the richest building in the whole sect. But all those riches were enjoyed by just forty disciples. Of which thirty six were first grade formation masters. Apprentices were not given the opportunity to use them. Unlike the apprentices in the other two auxiliary arts, they only had to study and had no other work to do.

In the past month Zhang Wuji spent most of his free time in the College with Shen Li and used all kinds of circuit theories to help him simplify pathways. Some he had to modify, some he had to scrap and some could be applied directly. The College too had some of these theories but not much stress was put on them. Spiritual energy, it's interactions with various materials and it's transformations were of much greater interest.

Today too was one such day.

"Brother Zhang thank you for sharing your valuable insights these past few days. I can't believe that you are not even a grade one formation master. You are like a reincarnated grand master."

"Haha you overpraise me."

"No you deserve it. If you need any help in the future do not hesitate to ask. I'll do whatever it takes to get it done."

"Brother Shen there is no need to be so serious."

"Brother Zhang you don't understand. For a formation master knowledge is of the utmost importance and you taught me so many things without any inhibitions. This is a very heavy debt. This knowledge you have given me will help me achieve greater heights as a formation master."

"Brother Shen all I did was tell you some methods to simplify pathways, that would not help you in any other way except make your formations more compact and easier to build. It's got nothing to do with spiritual energy itself. You talk as if I explained to you the essence of spiritual energy."

"You don't seem to understand the implications of what you have achieved. Let me give you an example. Let us consider the equivalent circuit method you devised."

"What about it?"

"Why do you think it works?"

"Because I mapped the input and the output-"

"Sure but why does it work?"

"Uh.."

"The interrelation between the elements, the codependence that is the reason why it works."

"So what? It is nothing new. The resonance effect exists because of that."

"Yes but this is another perspective, another effect of the same cause. Resonance effect is mainly due to the generating and overcoming interactions of the elements-"

"Equivalent circuit is also the same."

"Yes but it is about manipulating one element to get a result obtained by a complex combination of five. And that is amazing. You learn how to manipulate, you learn more about spiritual energy."

"So what did you learn?"

"What I just described."

"You just described interactions between elements, didn't you know that already?"

"It is not about learning, it is about making it a reality. You just gave me another way to manipulate my qi. Although the underlying theory remains unchanged, a different application gives a different feeling. A summation of many such feelings makes the reality. Once I completely understand the reality that is qi, I'll be able to sense it completely and bend it to my will. That will exponentially increase my capabilities as a cultivator and a formation master."

Shen Li wanted to continue in his excitement but looking at Zhang Wuji's blank looking face he controlled himself and concluded with one statement "You'll understand when you reach qi condensation."

"Alright." Zhang Wuji nodded.

"Is there anything you need my help with?"

"Not right now. Although I'd love to experience what it is like to be a nascent soul cultivator, I would not waste a grade two formation master's favor on something useless like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You know... you made me a body refinement template right, so I thought I could try a nascent soul one to see how it's like. I'm not using my favor on that. Although if you want to do it as a learning experience, I'd be happy to be your experimental subject."

"Absolutely impossible!"

"Why is it costly?"

"There's that too. But mainly there is only one nascent soul cultivator in the country and none in the sect, where do you think I'll get a nascent soul template?"

"Right-"

"Also most important reason is that templates are not good."

"Why?"

"All bodies, all cultivation is different. Everyone's qi is different, unique. Such template methods lead to dissonance between the body and mind. This causes a great hindrance to cultivation and may even lead to qi deviation in the worst case scenario and is therefore not constructed."

"Wait, then why-"

"Your case is different. You were fed sensory feedback. It's effects are minute, almost non existent."

"Almost?!"

"That is why there is a month's gap between two sessions. Whatever minute adverse effects there could be are resolved naturally in that time. You have absolutely nothing to worry. Uncle master Zou wouldn't do anything to harm you."

Both were then immersed in their own thoughts. One worrying about the possibility of some kind of a bizarre outgrowth from his body and the other for a way to repay gratitude.

"Right! I got the perfect way to repay you. Elder Wan is conducting a test to take a disciple. I can get you in that. Brother Zhang! You listening?"

Zhang was awakened from his thoughts with a start. "Yeah I am. Something about a test. Are you sure there are no adverse effects?"

"Yeah I'm sure. Brother Zhang you don't seem to understand. If you could become a disciple of an Elder, you wouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out."

"But why would he take me as his disciple? I'm not even an apprentice."

"That's where I come in. I'll talk to master and arrange you as my apprentice, I'll also train you for the test."

"Is that fine? What about the apprentice test?"

"Don't worry about that, and I think you already have all the knowledge to be an apprentice."

"No I left out all the material science part. So basically I know nothing about array formations."

"No problem. I'll teach all that is useful. What do you say?"

"Shouldn't I talk to alchemist Zou first?"

"You can talk to uncle master later, he will agree anyway. Do you agree or not?"

"Of course I agree!"

"Great! Now let's get started."

....

A month later.

In the Collage of Formation Masters, there was a huge rectangular room where tests were usually held. It had an illusion formation that created a test space. On one side a few Elders were seated on tall seats. In front of them were tens of disciples. Zhang Wuji was among them.

Elder Xu was also present. Shen Li was standing behind him and waved to Zhang Wuji.

"Brother Zhang I enquired about the test pattern. You'll be sent into the test space where you'll have to break a trap formation. After which you'll be required to design a formation which I know you'll ace." Zhang Wuji heard a small voice right beside his ear and looked right reflexively.

"It's me Shen Li, I'm using voice transmission."

'Of course it's you! My head just turned by itself!' He turned his head back to look at Shen Li.

"Whatever you do in the test space, do it as fast as possible. The first test is to grade your energy sense and formation expertise. Given that body refinement realm cultivators do not have an energy sense, you will already be losing to qi condensation realm disciples. Unless you do very well to showcase your expertise, you won't stand a chance. Also in the second test, simplify as much as possible. Time is not important as long as your design blows them away."

Zhang Wuji nodded. Mainly to make him stop transmitting his voice. It was not a pleasant experience. It's like a mosquito buzzing in your ear, irritating. Luckily for him, it worked. Shen Li just did a thumbs up and no longer transmitted his voice.

At this time Elder Wan who was sitting in the center of all Elders stood up. Elder Wan was a serious looking old man with long white hair and a handlebar mustache. He looked like someone with a gruff voice. With no formalities, he went straight to explaining the test criteria. And he did have a gruff voice. 'If he is the same to his disciple too, -' he mentally knocked himself on the head 'Concentrate, concentrate.'

The test was pretty much the same as what Shen Li explained. After Elder Wan was done with his introduction, he signaled a formation master to start the test. With a blinding light Zhang Wuji was back in the white space. 'They really need to make these things colorful!'

A moment later his surroundings changed. He was in a maze with grey walls and floor and a black suffocating fog as the ceiling. He had a compass in his right hand. It fit perfectly in his palm. It was a grey compass with a single red line. He was familiar with such compasses. These were connected to the formation and didn't work outside of that particular formation.

The red line indicated formation lines, imaginary lines much like electric field lines. The compass was very useful when constructing large scale formations. It helped keep track of things as multiple people will be working on multiple corners of the formation and synchronization was difficult. That's where the compass comes in.

Shen Li had arranged such formations for Zhang Wuji for practice. So he was quite familiar with what has to be done. Following the red line, he mentally marked all the gates in the formation and slowly mapped the whole formation. It was an array formation. After knowing how it worked and how energy flowed through it, he followed the pathway he marked and broke through the trap formation.

The formation disappeared in black smoke revealing an ancient looking hall. There were statues of mythical animals on all four sides. The ceiling had paintings of many formation symbols, constellations and mythical creatures that seemed to exude sacred air that filled the whole hall. Right at the center was a well. Zhang Wuji was standing next to it.

He leaned to look into the well. The moment he looked at the waters, he was send into a daze. A line of text appeared in his mind. 'Summer. Halfway through the moon cycle. Design a formation to freeze water.'

'Hm, so an abundance of fire and yin spiritual energy. Since terrain is not given, can't say anything about the other elements. So will have to design a formation that gives the best performance on an average for all kinds of possible terrains. Shouldn't be that difficult. But I gotta design one that blows their mind. Hmm... Right! I'll use the new formula I derived.'

He got to work and started designing the formation. He could see a formation getting constructed in his mind as his thoughts moved.

'Is this formation reading my mind?' He was getting more and more scared of the formation. So he did some tests and confirmed that unless he specifically intents, even thinking to change the design would not cause the constructed formation to change. After confirming with multiple tries that the formation only reads intent and not memory, he was relieved and continued designing peacefully.

....

BONGG!

He was pulled out from his immersed state with a resounding bell sound. It was melodious and mesmerizing. As the sound slowly subsided, he found himself back in the exam hall. He felt like he woke up from a deep meditative state. Slowly the bell sound completely ceased and he was wide awake to see everyone staring at him.

'What happened! Why is everyone staring at me? Am I the last one to finish? Were the Elders waiting for me?' Right as he was starting to sweat bullets, he felt wind hit his face and the surroundings blur along with a single word that filled the whole hall resounding in his ears

"Mine!!"