Elder Luo was flustered as he urged, “Don’t beat around the bush. Who is he?”

“The one that slashed at me on the front peak. That’s the lad,” Xuan Yi chuckled.

“Him?”

Elder Luo realized what was going on. However, he was even more puzzled and frowned. “Hasn’t he already issued a challenge to Feng Haoyu and caused a huge stir about wanting to prevent the latter from getting number one for Elixir and Weapon Peak? What has that got to do with us?”

“If he can challenge the Ten Formations Pagoda, he must have put in quite a lot of effort on learning formations. Why do you think he’s doing this instead of spending his time on refining elixirs, weapons and raising his cultivation?”

“I’ve got no idea too,” Xuan Yi shook his head and smiled. “But, don’t you think that this is really interesting?”

“So what if it is? He’s not a seed from our peak, sigh,” Elder Luo replied regrettably.

Xuan Yi looked at the Ten Formations Pagoda meaningfully and whispered, “I’m just curious now to see how many levels he can clear.”

…

Gradually, night arrived.

Many Array Peak disciples left while disciples of the other four peaks waited to see who the challenger was.

Little fatty rolled his eyes and stopped an Array Peak disciple casually, asking with a grin, “Senior brother, why aren’t you guys waiting anymore?”

“Heh! Junior brother, this is where you lack experience.”

The person replied mysteriously, “Think about it. Even if you wait here the entire night, you might not get to see who the person is. You might as well come back tomorrow morning. Furthermore, even if that person can clear Level 8, it’ll take at least two days and nights too.”

Little fatty nodded his head in agreement. “Senior brother, you’re really smart! That does make sense!”

The mysterious person had taken two days and nights to clear Level 7. Even if he could clear Level 8, it wouldn’t be that soon.

At that thought, little fatty headed back to rest.

There was no activity in the Ten Formations Pagoda for the next two days as more than half of the gathered disciples had lost their patience and left.

Zhong Wen arrived at the Ten Formations Pagoda on the morning of the sixth day, ready to challenge it once more.

Before night arrived, he was sent out by the pagoda. Even though he had cleared the first six levels even faster than before, he still failed at Level 7.

Just as he was about to leave, Level 8 lit up!

“Level 8! That person has cleared Level 8!”

“That’s a full three days and nights!”

“That means that he’s been inside for a whole six days now! What sort of a body does he have to withstand such a draining experience?”

In fact, many disciples did not know that Su Zimo’s physique was much more terrifying than they had thought.

Moreover, he was tortured by little crane endlessly back in his Weapon Peak cave abode and it was almost ten days of sleepless nights back then…

It could be said that Su Zimo’s current achievements in array formation was forced entirely by a stupid bird…

When he saw the glowing light of Level 8, Zhong Wen felt a bitterness surge within him – he no longer had any hope.

The difference was too great.

Once again, he looked at that familiar name at the top of the Ten Formations Stele. He found it a little eye-piercing and could not help but laugh at himself bitterly before leaving.

When he saw Zhong Wen’s back view, Elder Luo shook his head and sighed. “What a pity. If that person had not appeared, Zhong Wen would have been a really great genius of array formations.”

By now, the disciples of the various peaks had a rough grasp of the timing for the Ten Formations Pagoda.

Based on that logic, the mysterious person was going to take even longer to clear Level 9!

With the year end face-off approaching, most disciples would naturally not choose to spend their days wasted here. Moreover, it was already dark and everyone dispersed to rest in their cave abodes.

Before long, it was peaceful at the Ten Formations Pagoda once more. Elder Luo was the only one still guarding as he stood up and stretched.

Xuan Yi walked over from afar and said, “Elder Luo, go and rest first. I don’t think there’ll be much activity for the next few days now that the lad’s at Level 9.”

Elder Luo shook his head.

“Why? You’re still worried?” Xuan Yi chuckled. “If you are, I’ll help you watch over tonight.”

Elder Luo let out a mysterious smile and asked, “Do you know what type of formation is at Level 9?”

“Killing?” Xuan Yi was puzzled as to why Elder Luo would raise that question.

Elder Luo asked once more, “Do you know how long that Su Zimo took to get through Level 4’s killing formation?”

Realizing that there was something more to it, Xuan Yi’s eyes gleamed as he made a guess, “15 minutes?”

Elder Luo snickered, beating around the bush slightly before replying slowly, “17 seconds!”

Psst!

Xuan Yi’s expression changed entirely as he gasped, “How could that be?!”

After a deep silence, Xuan Yi asked in a testing manner, “Is it a coincidence?”

Gazing at the Ten Formations Pagoda, Elder Luo remarked softly, “We’ll know soon if that’s the case.”

All of a sudden!

The moment Elder Luo said that, Level 9 lit up the night skies!

Xuan Yi and Elder Luo exchanged glances – both could tell of the other’s shock.

“How long did he take this time round?”

“Around 47 seconds.”

“Seems like that lad really does have a method to get through killing formations.”

“Level 10 comprises a combination array formation of two types. If one of them is a killing formation, the combination formation would be extremely easy for that lad.”

“If he manages to clear Level 10…”

…

Su Zimo who had just entered Level 10 did not know that he would cause such a huge commotion among the five peaks with his challenge of the pagoda.

He had reaped a lot from this challenge.

Even though he had spent a lot of time studying in the Array Chamber, that was all just theory without any practical aspect.

However, Su Zimo had witnessed and learned from the various methods and techniques deployed by different Array Formation Masters in setting up the formations in the Ten Formations Pagoda.

Observing carefully in Level 10, Su Zimo smiled.

It was a combination formation comprising of a killing and trap formation. A killing formation was almost nonexistent for him and the only thing he had to dispel was the trap formation.

“Seems like my luck’s better this time round.”

A deep fatigue could be seen from Su Zimo but still, his eyes remained clear and resolute.

For six whole days, Su Zimo had not rested at all as he spent his time dispelling formations. Even though it didn’t expend much spirit qi, he was physically and mentally exhausted.

It was a huge toll on one’s mental state to dispel formations.

However, fully motivated by the thought of not having to worry about that stupid bird after getting out of this place, Su Zimo picked himself up and worked at dispelling the formation.

On around midnight of the eight day.

The moon was bright with little stars in the skies. Other than Elder Luo, there was no one else in front of the Ten Formations Pagoda.

Just as Elder Luo was about to fall asleep, the peak of the Ten Formations Pagoda lit up without any warning!

Astonished, Elder Luo looked at those shining formation patterns for the longest time in silence.

According to the time that Su Zimo cleared Level 10, it was now short of six hours to make a full eight days since he had entered the Ten Formations Pagoda!

A challenge of this duration was not merely a test of a cultivator’s ability to set up and dispel formations, it was also a test of their determination, physique, mental state et cetera.

Elder Luo was very pleased.

It was as though he was looking at the gradual emergence of a monster in array formations from this pagoda that he was guarding in a corner of Tianhuang Mainland!