C10 The Powerful Ancient Formation!

Su Yinjian watched the disciples in the square suffer continuous injuries from the array formations. Their cultivation levels not only failed to improve but actually declined. It was only after witnessing this that he returned to his residence with a satisfied grin.

Yet, he couldn't shake a strange premonition that something unforeseen would occur, prompting him to seek out Chen Ping.

"Keep an eye on Su Ge for me," he said, his voice low to avoid the ears of the Great Elder. "I have this nagging feeling his disciple will face inner demons. To train in such a state, injured and reckless, is pure folly. And given the setbacks he's faced, it's prime time for those demons to emerge, especially since the Great Elder mentioned his pride in his talent for array formations."

Chen Ping, who had come to deeply trust Su Yinjian after his own breakthrough—a milestone he wouldn't have reached without Su Yinjian's help—agreed to the request without a moment's hesitation.

The system hadn't prompted him to deduct any points for the array formation issue, indicating that no one in the sect had made a breakthrough. Su Yinjian enjoyed a period of tranquility until the day the Great Elder approached him, urgency written all over his face.

"Sect Leader, there's something important I need to discuss with you," the Great Elder said, barely containing his excitement.

Su Yinjian's heart sank at the sight, suspecting he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. He probed cautiously, "What's got you so elated, Great Elder? Has Su Ge made a breakthrough? If so, I should offer my congratulations."

His smile was hopeful, yet inwardly, he was pleading that his assumptions were wrong.

"I'll not divulge it just yet. Why not accompany me to the back mountain?" the Great Elder suggested. "Su Ge wishes for you to witness his accomplishment firsthand. He intends to inform the rest of the sect, but he believes you should be the first to know."

Su Yinjian's mouth twitched involuntarily as he pondered the situation, hoping against hope that it wasn't as he feared. After wiping the sweat from his brow, he followed the Great Elder to where Su Ge and a few disciples were gathered.

"Sect Leader, I've finally succeeded in creating a formation diagram, but I'm unsure of its efficacy or if there are any weaknesses. I'd be grateful for your guidance," Su Ge said earnestly.

Su Yinjian's expression betrayed a hint of embarrassment. Su Ge was undeniably a prodigy in the realm of formations. Few disciples in the sect pursued this study, and he stood out among them.

The sect's elders, including the Great Elder, weren't masters of array formations. The Great Elder was merely more knowledgeable than his peers but far from an expert.

Su Ge, however, was exceptional. As the Great Elder had said, upon joining the sect, he grasped the array formations more quickly than his peers, earning him the title of genius—a title he truly deserved.

Su Yinjian had recognized that most disciples lacked the innate talent for formations, which had led him to his current strategy. What he hadn't accounted for was the Great Elder's genius disciple.

"I've created this array formation from an incomplete diagram I discovered in the library, incorporating elements from several defensive and offensive formations. However, I'm uncertain if it will function, so I've asked the Sect Leader to offer guidance."

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with anticipation while he gazed at Su Yinjian, eagerly awaiting his response.

Inside, Su Yinjian let out a silent groan. This time, his usual shrewdness had failed him, and worse, the system might penalize him for it. Had he foreseen this outcome, he would have never devised such a plan.

With the Great Elder's approval, Su Ge made his way to the heart of the array formation. Upon their arrival, Su Yinjian found him engrossed in his work, drawing the formation said to possess considerable power, hence their visit to the secluded back mountain.

Su Yinjian scrutinized Su Ge and the formation's components, as well as the disciples assigned to support it—those who had previously been paired with Su Ge and had suffered backlash as a result.

He wondered why Su Ge would risk involving them again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've already explained how to channel your magical power to activate the formation. Whether we succeed or fail hinges on this attempt."

At Su Ge's command, the disciples sprang into action.

Their spells converged on the disciple at the formation's center, their energies merging slowly. To Su Yinjian's amazement, a colossal sword materialized before them.

"I'm as astonished as you are. Who would have thought Su Ge could actually reconstruct this ancient formation, long sealed away in the library?"

The Great Elder boasted to Su Yinjian, clearly delighted with his protégé. So caught up in his pride, he failed to notice Su Yinjian's troubled expression.

"This formation has been stored in the library for ages, beyond the grasp of many. After the library was destroyed by fire, the formation diagram suffered damage."

Yet, they hadn't anticipated that Su Ge could not only restore the formation but also enhance its original design.

Su Yinjian watched with a mix of anger and awe as the sword they had crafted cleaved through a mountain peak. In a cloud of dust, the peak vanished, their formation having sheared off the top of a mountain.

"Truly, it's a testament to the formidable formation from the library. Sect Leader, you must have recognized Su Ge's potential early on, which is why you entrusted them with this cultivation task."

Su Yinjian forced a strained smile, his expression awkward. The elders, however, were too engrossed in the revelation that their sect's prodigy had revived a long-lost formation from the remnants of the damaged diagram to notice his discomfort.

Had they been aware of Su Yinjian's demeanor, they would have surely wondered why their Sect Leader seemed less than thrilled.

Meanwhile, Su Ge continued to downplay the formation's significance. Suddenly, the Great Elder advanced and launched an attack on the formation, which held strong against the assault.

With a look of indifference, Su Yinjian observed the scene, and as despair filled his eyes, the system's voice echoed in his mind once more.