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Chapter 179 - Crazy Tempest
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 07:00:07 +0000 UTC"Who said array masters can't work here? It's a big building, and many arrays need to be maintained here. I wear the same uniform as others because it's easier to blend in," Sawi replied.
"Hahaha. Sorry. It's just that for some reason, I have a preconceived notion that array and formation masters are some kind of elite professions similar to how alchemists are revered." Leyvi explained his thoughts honestly.
"Ah.. that's probably because you came from a small place. Over here, array masters are common and weren't considered elite. Do you know the difference between array and formation master?" Sawi asked.
"Uhh...array master works with smaller things, and formation master works with bigger things?" Leyvi answered with the little knowledge he knew about the professions.
"You are only half right. The biggest difference between array and formation master is their ability. A formation master is also an array master, but the other way round is not necessarily true. That is why formation masters have higher status and are more popular than array masters." Sawi explained.
"Why is that? Why can't array master be considered formation master too?" Leyvi became more curious.
"Do you know the basics of array and formation?"
"Inscription symbols, right?"
"That's right. There are hundreds of thousands of inscription symbols that researchers have discovered until now. Some are simple, some are complicated, and some are extremely complicated. Each symbol produces a unique effect depending on their complexity."
Leyvi nodded as he listened attentively. After all, he never had a chance to talk with an array or formation master. No, he talked to Bellion, but that didn't count. Alita, the airship spirit didn't count too.
"To become an array master, depending on ranks, one must memorize a certain number of symbols by heart and be able to inscribe the inscription symbols perfectly. That's it. Sounds easy, right?"
"Em.. that doesn't sound difficult," Leyvi replied.
"Hehe, that's what countless people think, too. But unfortunately, countless had despaired because they couldn't even activate the simplest inscription symbol. The perfect I'm saying here is not looking perfect, but literally perfect. The inscription symbols' dimensions ratio relative to their size must be absolutely correct."
"Huh? I don't understand that last part." Leyvi looked confused.
"What I mean is, imagine this straight line as an inscription symbol. If you want to inscribe it at half the size, all the dimensions must also be reduced to half. This is the biggest challenge to array masters. If they wanted to inscribe an inscription symbol onto a small thing like a ring, all the dimensions must be reduced accordingly, which is exceedingly difficult!" Sawi explained passionately, as if remembering her past struggle of trying to become an array master.
Leyvi gulped. He had brain damage just thinking about it. How do you even do all that accurately? He couldn't even write properly. His handwritings were as ugly as the wrinkles on his ball sacks.
"Then, what about formation master?" Leyvi became fully invested in the topic. He even let someone else enter the testing room first to listen to Sawi's explanation.
"Now that you have understood how hard it is to inscribe even one symbol, imagine combining many inscription symbols together. Imagine inscription symbols as letters. If array is the like a word, then the formation is a complete sentence."
"An array might contain one to multiple inscription symbols together, lined up normally. But a formation might contain hundreds or thousands of inscription symbols arranged in complex structures, exceedingly difficult to grasp."
"To do this, you need a different kind of talent. You need to have an ability called hyperphantasia."
"Huh? Hyperphantasia? Why does it sound like someone high on drugs?" Leyvi chimed in.
"Hehe." Sawi giggled, then continued explaining. "Hyperphantasia describes one's capacity to produce extremely vivid, almost lifelike images in the mind's eye, with clarity and detail comparable to actual sight. All formation masters can visualize arranging and combining the symbols in any way they want. If they can't do this, it would be almost impossible for them to understand what was going on."
"Combining many individual effects to create a perfectly functioning system is what a formation is!" Sawi felt excited when she said this sentence.
"Can you do that?" Leyvi asked.
Sawi pouted. "If I could do that, I would have been a formation master. I could imagine them pretty good, but the details are still blurry."
Leyvi felt intrigued, so he closed his eyes and tried to imagine his panda wife naked. A clear image of Anda's sexy body instantly formed in his mind. All details were very clear and accurate.
Huh? I can do this hyperphantasia thing? Holy cat! Maybe I have the talent to be a formation master! Let's try imagining Lilian next.
Leyvi tried imagining a naked Lilian the same way, but it didn't work as he expected. Only Lilian's face and mega melons have clear details this time. The other parts of her body became blurry.
Leyvi imagined his other women too, but only their faces and specific body parts appeared clearly in his mind.
"Tch." Leyvi got annoyed. He thought he had the talent to be a formation master for a second. Turned out it was just a troll by his dirty mind.
"Did you try to imagine something? How is it?" Sawi asked after she heard the 'tch' from Leyvi. She had noticed Leyvi closed his eyes, trying to visualize earlier.
Leyvi nodded. "Only the things that I really like came out clearly. The others are blurry. Haha."
"Hehe. Don't worry. That's normal. There are people who couldn't even visualize anything at all. The opposite of people with hyperphantasia." Sawi consoled.
"So, do array masters without hyperphantasia will never become a formation master?" Leyvi wondered.
"Not necessarily. Some array masters have created a few visualization techniques to help them acquire hyperphantasia. However, just like cultivation, it took a long time to reach that level. I'm using a visualization technique too, but it's just the cheapest one because I'm broke. Haha!" Sawi laughed. Her narrow eyes became narrower.
"Alright Sawi, let's go in!" Leyvi invited. The testing room was free again.
He didn't expect to gain some knowledge about array and formation at all while shopping. Some events do happen randomly, including the two times his crotch got molested just before that.
In the spacious testing room, Leyvi put on the Vortex Gloves and was surprised by their weight. Even though they were made from different materials, the left and right gloves were the same weight.
"Be careful, put extra thick protective Qi around your arms," Sawi warned. Although the gloves would protect the hand, the forearm and the upper arms would be exposed to the glove's special effect.
Leyvi tested the right glove, Crazy Tempest, first. He channeled and supplied his Qi to the glove, and he could sense his normal Qi turned into wind-type Qi. It gathered around his fist quickly and spun in all directions, forming a circular vortex.
The more Qi Leyvi fed to the Crazy Tempest, the more rapid and violent the circular vortex became.
It started with a soft whispering hum that quickly grew in intensity, like the sound of fierce winds gathering force in a storm. As the rotation accelerates, it would resonate with a deep, buzzing whirr, layered with a higher-pitched, razor-sharp hiss. A terrifying sound to hear up close.
"Hahaha! This is awesome! No wonder they call it Crazy Tempest! Now I have a meat grinder!" Leyvi's laugh was slightly drowned out by the spiral vortex.
He could feel the violent small tempest around his fist reaching for the skin of his arm, trying to grind it. Thankfully, the violent grinds couldn't penetrate his steel-like skin.
If other cultivators used this, they probably have to protect themselves with protective Qi or use spirit armor. No wonder the previous testers didn't buy this. The Vortex Gloves were already expensive to begin with and then they had to buy something else to protect their arm? Nope.
Sawi's eyes weren't narrow anymore. She felt shocked by what she was seeing. Even a Core Formation expert wasn't as relaxed as Leyvi when using the Crazy Tempest. And what's with that rotation speed? How much Qi did he supply to it?
Oh no. I made a mistake. I should have thought about it sooner. There is no way someone who obtained my ancestor's tier-5 spirit weapon would be normal. How should I get closer to him now? Is this guy really from a small place?
Wait. I still have a chance! The Scary Void is much more dangerous than the Crazy Tempest! I could still save him and get closer. Hehe.
"Alright! Now let's test the Scary Void!" Leyvi stopped supplying his Qi, and the spiral vortex gradually dissipated. He was greatly satisfied with the product so far. It might not suit other people, but it fits him perfectly.
"Be careful! The Scary Void is much more dangerous! Put protective Qi around your body this time! It would automatically drain 30% of your Qi because the effect is instantaneous!" Sawi warned again while Leyvi was putting on the left glove.
Leyvi's eyes were sparkling when he heard her. More dangerous? Does that mean more interesting too? He looked forward to the effect even more!
Sawi was speechless again after she saw Leyvi's excited expression. Is this guy crazy? Other people became more hesitant after the warning, but he became more excited.
Although Leyvi was excited, he didn't try to be stubborn this time and put up protective Qi around his body. After all, the effect would be spontaneous. It wasn't the same as the Crazy Tempest.
Leyvi extended his arm forward and opened up his palm.
Activate!
Leyvi clearly felt a huge portion of his Qi depleted in less than a second.
Boom!
A huge suction force appeared out of nowhere, alongside a huge vortex!
