TL: Etude
Three days later.
Ye Tian arrived once again at the Array Master Association and was promptly led to the grand hall on the second floor of the Association.
"Ten people!"
Ye Tian surveyed the grand hall and saw eight young people, one middle-aged man, and one old man. Including himself, there were eleven people.
After Ye Tian reached this place, the staff member who had led the way left.
"Esteemed Grandmaster, are you the examiner?"
A young warrior walked over and nervously inquired.
"No, I'm also here to participate in the Array Master Examination!"
Ye Tian responded indifferently.
There was a stir.
The looks the other examinees gave him varied; some were reverent, while others were disdainful.
To some examinees, the fact that Ye Tian could attain the rank of Grandmaster indicated he had extraordinary talent. However, participating in an Array Master Examination at this time perhaps suggested that he was not very talented in the field of array mastery. Otherwise, why would he not have passed the examination earlier?
Grandmasters indeed inspired awe, but they held no particular superiority over Array Masters. Even a junior Array Master could command enough respect to deter a Grandmaster from offending them. This was because Array Masters were highly united and, although fewer in number, were crucial to the construction of the large base in Demon Sea Base.
So, no one dared to offend the community of Array Masters.
For this reason, within the Array Master community, one would address others based on their Array Master rank. Even if someone was only a low-level Array Master, they would be more distinguished than a Great Martial Warrior but a junior Array Master..
"It seems I've been underestimated."
Ye Tian thought to himself.
After all, it wasn't easy to gauge the age of a Grandmaster-level warrior. Some Grandmasters might be in their late teens but appeared no different from people of that age. With a life span extending up to 200 years, as long as one became a Grandmaster at seventeen or eighteen, there would be no noticeable change in their appearance for many years to come.
No one assumed Ye Tian was only seventeen or eighteen years old; they thought he must have reached his late teens by now.
Formation Master talents were usually identified as early as ten years old. If one had not become an Array Master by the late teens, it would only prove that their talent for being an Array Master was subpar—either weak or inferior.
Ye Tian keenly sensed the disdain directed at him by several people, who themselves had basic Array Master talents and were assuredly destined to become junior Array Masters.
"Interesting, a few Elite Martial Warriors and Great Martial Warriors dare to look down on me, a Grandmaster?"
Ye Tian sneered.
In an invisible manner, Ye Tian released a strand of his aura, suppressing those young people.
Boom!
Overwhelmed by the pressure, several young people took a step back, their faces turning slightly pale.
The individuals who had suffered greatly didn't dare to look at Ye Tian anymore. They finally realized their own recklessness. How could they, who were not even junior Array Masters, dare to disrespect a Grandmaster?
If it weren't for the fact that fighting was prohibited in the large base in Demon Sea Base, these individuals would likely have turned into corpses upon encountering other Grandmasters.
"Grandmaster, this old man has taken part in many examinations and has never seen you before. Is this your first time participating in an examination?"
The sole old examinee walked over and respectfully asked.
"Yes, it is indeed my first time participating in an examination,"
Ye Tian nodded.
Immediately afterward, he scrutinized the old man. According to what he saw from his Talent Copying ability, the old man was named Li Zhong and had a weak Array Master talent. With such a meager talent, he probably didn't even have a chance of becoming an Array Master, did he?
However, it was not entirely accurate to say so. The profession of Array Master was somewhat unique. As long as one had some level of Array Master talent and took some special measures, there was a slim chance of advancing to junior Array Master. However, the difficulty was tremendous, and the success rate was less than one percent.
Li Zhong was already so old, yet he was still participating in the Array Master Examination. Clearly, he had indomitable willpower.
"Master, are you familiar with the examination?" Li Zhong asked Ye Tian.
"I'm not," Ye Tian shook his head.
Li Zhong elaborated, "Let me explain it to you, Master. The examination for an Array Master is divided into three stages. The first stage involves engraving array patterns; you need to engrave at least 20 to pass. Anyone who comes for the examination can get through this part. The second stage is to set up a simple array. This is where it becomes difficult, as the complexity of engraving an array pattern and setting up an array are entirely different. Most people fail at this second stage. As for the third stage, it is neither easy nor difficult. It involves identifying loopholes in an array. The more you find, the higher your score. You need to find at least one to pass. I myself have failed the third stage a hundred times!"
"Failed a hundred times?" Ye Tian was shocked. Was the third stage really that hard? Given Li Zhong's modest talent, he was still able to engrave 20 array patterns and set up a simple array. The effort that must have taken was not something just anyone could achieve. Yet, this determined Li Zhong had failed the third stage a hundred times.
Although Li Zhong hadn't succeeded in the exam, he was still an incredibly capable apprentice Array Master. He could set up the most basic arrays and make money from it, just without the prestige of being a junior Array Master.
Soon after, a man in his thirties who was a mid-level Array Master arrived.
"I'm Chen Yao, a mid-level Array Master from the Array Masters Association. I am here to oversee your examination today. The first stage of the examination begins now. Distribute the engraving pens, monster blood, and yuan force papers to them," said Chen Yao.
Members of the Array Masters Association handed out the engraving pens, monster blood, and yuan force papers. The examination had begun!
Shush, shush, shush!
Ye Tian picked up the engraving pen and effortlessly etched 20 characters, then stopped.
"Array Master talent," Ye Tian silently activated his own Array Master talent. He looked at the yuan force papers that he had worked on and saw the array patterns emitting light, leaving the paper and vividly appearing one by one. Each pattern's meaning was very clear.
This confirmed that these array patterns were engraved accurately and were qualified. If they were not, then activating his Array Master talent would not result in any change or it might show flaws.
Soon, the other participants also finished their engravings.
Examiner Chen Yao glanced around and nodded, "Good, everyone passed. Now, onto the second stage. Bring the array design charts!"
A girl brought over ten design charts and handed them to Chen Yao.
"This is a basic soundproofing array that only involves the basic 20 array patterns. Each of you take one and review it. Remember, you cannot use this design for profit, or you know what will happen— the Array Masters Association will never employ you," Chen Yao sternly warned.
Soon, the design charts were distributed to the participants. Ye Tian carefully started to read the soundproofing array design.
"Huh, so it's like this," Ye Tian was surprised.
The design was similar to building a house. The array patterns laid the foundation, creating a three-dimensional space, forming a perfect looping array space. This array space, when infused with yuan force power, became an array.
This soundproofing array was not complicated; Ye Tian understood it at a glance.
Just then, a young man suddenly spoke up, "Master, how about we compete to see who can set up this soundproofing array first?"
Ye Tian looked over and realized that the person provoking him was one of the individuals he had intimidated earlier.
"Sure, how about we raise the stakes?"
Ye Tian grinned mischievously.