Read Novel Full Chapter 221: Cloud Empire (41)
Chapter 221: Cloud Empire (41)
Time ran on relentlessly.
The second phase of the Jade Palace Formation Tournament unfolded like a chaotic symphony of light, Qi, and concentration.
On the central disc, ninety formation masters worked simultaneously, each within their small territory of plates and spirit stones.
The air was dense, heavy with the metallic scent of energy being consumed, the faint hum of activated runes, and the occasional sound of plates cracking when someone miscalculated the balance.
Kyrian observed everything with crimson eyes that seemed to absorb every detail. He saw the flow of Qi moving between the plates, the lines of energy intertwining or unraveling, and the small human flaws that cost precious minutes or even elimination.
Mei Li, beside him, kept her gaze fixed on the arena, analyzing in silence, but from time to time she whispered brief comments.
"Look... that one just lost the second formation because he didn’t calculate the Qi consumption. He’ll be stuck on the first."
Kyrian nodded slightly.
Meanwhile, old Ming continued to be the fastest and most consistent.
After completing the three formations in fifty-five minutes, he did not rise. He remained seated in lotus position, breathing slowly, keeping the three formations active at the same time.
Concealment, Qi concentration, and movement restraint.
The three worked in harmony, the concealment hid his presence, the concentration drew ambient Qi into him, and the restraint created a network of invisible threads around him that prevented any accidental approach. He needed nothing more. He simply waited for time to run out.
The disciple of the Cloud Academy finished his third formation in one hour and twenty minutes. An offensive barrier that launched needles of energy in rotating patterns. He stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and remained silent, observing the others with a calm and evaluating gaze.
The young woman in purple robes, whose name Kyrian heard mentioned as Lan Xue, finished in one hour and eleven minutes. Her three formations were all illusion-based. One was a distorted visual perception, another auditory perception, and the third created false shadows that moved like real people. When she finished, she sat down exhausted but with a subtle smile of satisfaction.
Others stood out in different ways.
A middle-aged man, with scars on his face and simple brown robes, assembled a Peak Rank 3 defensive formation, a hardened earth dome that resisted impacts. He finished in one hour and twenty-three minutes.
A short-haired girl with a focused expression created three support formations. Qi acceleration, light regeneration, and poison purification. She finished in one hour and twenty-eight minutes.
But most struggled.
Many were still on the second formation when the bell announced that only thirty minutes remained. Some desperately tried to finish the third, but the mental consumption was too high.
A young man lost control of the central plate, the formation collapsed in an explosion of light that threw him backward, burning his arms and eliminating him automatically. Another simply fell sideways, unconscious, exhausted after trying to feed two formations at the same time without enough stones.
Kyrian observed the patterns closely.
"Those who finish faster don’t force it. They let the Qi flow between the formations as if it were a natural cycle. Those who try to complete everything at once end up breaking."
Mei Li nodded.
"Exactly. It’s a test of balance and overall vision, not just speed."
The final minutes were tense.
When the bell rang for the last time, deep and definitive, echoing across the Celestial Plaza, Qing Lanyue descended from the highest pillar in an elegant leap, landing once more at the center of the disc.
She raised her hand.
All active formations were instantly sealed by a wave of her Qi. The plates stopped glowing. Silence returned.
"Second phase concluded."
She paused briefly.
"Of the ninety participants who began, only thirteen completed the three formations successfully and kept all of them active until the end of the time."
A murmur of surprise and respect rose from the stands.
"Thirteen... out of ninety. That’s brutal."
"Thirteen finalists. Now it gets serious."
Qing Lanyue continued, her voice cold and clear.
"The thirteen finalists are."
"Master Ming. Three Rank 3 formations, all maintained active simultaneously."
"Lan Xue. Three Rank 3 illusion formations."
"Wei Chang..."
"..."
The crowd applauded warmly. The thirteen finalists were highlighted, some stood, others merely inclined their heads in acknowledgment.
Qing Lanyue raised her hand again, silencing everyone.
The applause died instantly, as if an invisible blade had cut the sound at its root.
She remained motionless at the center of the main disc, bright green hair falling like an unmoving cascade, cold eyes sweeping over the thirteen finalists who now stood out among the others eliminated. Her presence was enough to impose silence effortlessly.
"Before the final phase," she said, her voice low and cutting.
"All of you will have one hour of rest. Recover your Qi, calm your minds, and prepare yourselves. The last test does not forgive hesitation."
She did not explain anything further.
With a simple gesture, the metal plates used in the second phase were collected by servants who appeared like shadows. The thirteen finalists were guided to reserved side areas, small floating platforms with meditation cushions and cups of restorative tea for quick recovery. The other participants and spectators remained in the stands, but the murmuring returned at a low volume, almost reverent.
Master Ming sat in lotus position on his platform, eyes closed, breathing slowly.
Lan Xue leaned against a jade column, smiling faintly but with distant eyes, recovering the Qi spent on the complex illusions.
The others varied. Some meditated intensely, others walked in small circles to ease tension, and one or two spoke in low voices with nearby companions. None showed panic. All knew that what would come next would be the true test.
The invisible spiritual clock of the Celestial Plaza counted the minutes with cruel precision. The crowd in the stands did not disperse, on the contrary, it grew.
The hour ended.
The spiritual bell rang. Deep, prolonged, echoing like distant thunder.
Qing Lanyue descended from the highest pillar in a silent leap, landing once again at the center of the main disc. Her green hair rippled once before settling. Her expression remained impassive, cold as eternal ice, without a trace of emotion or fatigue.
She raised her right hand.
Silence fell once more, absolute.
"It is time for the final test."
Her voice did not need amplification. Each word reached clearly the ears of everyone in the Celestial Plaza.
The thirteen finalists rose in unison, without hesitation. They knew that what came next would decide everything.