Chapter 2570: Chapter 2573: Keep an Eye on Him
"Heh! So you still know..."
Zuo Qiqi let out a cold laugh and was about to mock him again, when she suddenly froze.
After Jiang Chen’s words fell, he waved his hand, and over a thousand Spirit Stones flew toward Zuo Qiqi.
"What? Trying to buy me off with Spirit Stones?"
Zuo Qiqi looked at Jiang Chen with disdain. "A thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones—only bumpkins from some backwater like you would treat that as a treasure!"
"And you call yourself someone from a Formation aristocratic clan? You’re a disgrace to the Formation families!"
Jiang Chen spoke lightly.
Buzz!
The thousand-plus Spirit Stones suddenly flickered, the space around Zuo Qiqi trembled, and a mysterious ripple spread out.
"A Formation!?"
Zuo Qiqi’s eyes changed slightly. She was just about to retreat when a four-colored light barrier enveloped her. Around the barrier, four illusory beast shadows circled.
"Laying down Formation!?"
Su Qingpeng exclaimed, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
"This... what fast Formation deployment!"
Huo Qiong showed a hint of shock in his eyes. The casual speed at which Jiang Chen had just laid down this Formation made him think that if he hadn’t been on guard beforehand, he might not have been able to avoid it either.
"Laying down Formation? Impressive means, but what does Mr Jiang intend by this!"
A figure appeared beside the Formation, staring steadily at Jiang Chen.
Just now, after the group of juniors finished their matches, Zuo Lincheng and the elders of the other two families had gone to find Supreme Elder Jin Ang to discuss a deal. Sensing the Formation’s fluctuation over here, they rushed over.
"Senior Zuo, no need to be tense. Miss Zuo wanted to test my attainments in the Formation arts."
Jiang Chen replied calmly, then turned to Zuo Qiqi. "Please, Miss Zuo—break the Formation."
"You..."
Zuo Qiqi glared at Jiang Chen through gritted teeth and said angrily, "I’ll break it right in front of you!"
"Miss Zuo, a reminder—this is a Combined Formation of a Trapping Formation and a Killing Array. Although I won’t be controlling it further, if you use the wrong method to break it, you’ll trigger the Killing Array. Without me presiding, this Formation won’t kill you, but being seriously injured will be hard to avoid."
Jiang Chen spoke lightly. "So I advise you not to break it blindly. An Array Master, whether laying or breaking a Formation, must remain absolutely calm and composed. With that temper of yours, you really aren’t very suited for the Formation path."
"A Killing Array?"
Zuo Qiqi was startled. If not for Jiang Chen’s reminder, she truly hadn’t seen that a Killing Array was hidden within this Formation. But then she thought: if she admitted she couldn’t see it, wouldn’t that mean her Formation skills were inferior to this guy’s? Impossible!
"I don’t need your reminder. I can see it just fine!"
Zuo Qiqi glared at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen chuckled softly and ignored her. He turned to Su Qingpeng. "Brother Su, I know the Formation arts are your strongest card. I can see that from Elder Su as well. But I fought alongside Elder Su before. Unless absolutely necessary, Elder Su rarely uses the Formation arts in direct combat. Like I said, Formation as support, the self as the core."
"The Formation arts are a method we use when we meet enemies we can’t handle with our own strength, or when we face many opponents. Of course, when you can fuse Formation arts with your own attacks and execute them seamlessly, you can indeed treat Formation as your main offensive method."
At this point, Jiang Chen’s tone shifted:
"But that kind of style where you rely purely on Formation arts in a fight is very easy to counter. In a spar it’s fine, but in a true life-and-death battle—for example, if you and Hu Zi were fighting to the death—if your Formation isn’t set up in time, you’d already be dead. That’s the weakness of insufficient personal strength."
Su Qingpeng was stunned. He glanced at Yan Hu, recalled Yan Hu’s fight with Zuo Qiqi just now, and fell silent.
Su Lieyang and Zuo Lincheng both shot Jiang Chen a deep look. The principles Jiang Chen spoke of were things even they had yet to fully comprehend—they still couldn’t achieve that seamless switching between Formation arts and their own strength.
Yet judging from Jiang Chen’s demeanor, he seemed to have already grasped it now.
Zuo Lincheng glanced at Zuo Qiqi, who was trying to find a way to break the Formation, and a trace of deeper meaning flashed in his eyes.
Zuo Qiqi had been pampered by the clan since childhood and had grown a proud and aloof character. Being taught a lesson by someone of the same generation might actually help wake her up a little.
Moreover, Jiang Chen had pointed out what Zuo Qiqi most lacked—but what an Array Master most needed—calm and composure!
"Mr Jiang, you’re the Jiang Chen that Qing Luan mentioned, aren’t you?"
Su Lieyang looked at Jiang Chen with a faint smile.
"Jiang Chen of Changlin Academy greets Senior."
Jiang Chen cupped his fists toward Su Lieyang.
"I heard from Qing Luan that last time she taught you the technique of using the body as a Formation?"
Su Lieyang spoke with meaningful eyes.
"Using the body as a Formation?"
Zuo Lincheng spoke in surprise, and his gaze toward Jiang Chen became somewhat complicated.
"Senior Su, rest assured. I’ve already promised Elder Su that when the Canglan Domain grand competition comes, I’ll fight on behalf of the Su Family."
Jiang Chen understood what Su Lieyang was hinting at.
Using the body as a Formation was the Su Family’s untransmittable art. The only condition under which it could be taught to an outsider was that he represent the Su Family in the Canglan Domain grand competition. That competition was also a preliminary selection for the all-continent grand competition. Jiang Chen didn’t have to represent the Su Family in the inter-domain part of the all-continent competition, but he did need to represent the Su Family in the Canglan Domain competition.
"I wonder how many Spiritual Seals Mr Jiang can condense now? Although Mr Jiang can achieve Laying down Formation, using Spirit Stones to set Formations is ultimately a minor path. In the grand competition, if you do that..."
Su Lieyang didn’t finish his sentence, but Jiang Chen understood his meaning. Using Spirit Stones to lay Formations in the grand competition would become a laughingstock.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, speaking with confidence. "Although the power of my Spiritual Seals Formations still can’t match me going all out with Spirit Stones, Formations like this one are no problem."
As he spoke, Jiang Chen glanced at the Four Symbols Seal Demon Array trapping Zuo Qiqi.
Su Lieyang’s eyes lit up. He was also a Formation Grandmaster, and at one glance he could see the power contained in this Four Symbols Seal Demon Array. Among the younger generation, a Formation of this level wasn’t the very top, but it was more than presentable.
Moreover, he caught the meaning behind Jiang Chen’s words—this wasn’t even the strongest Formation Jiang Chen had mastered!
Zuo Lincheng’s eyes flickered. He too understood Jiang Chen’s implication. He looked at Zuo Qiqi, who was helpless inside the Formation and kept sending him pleading looks, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
"Senior Zuo, I once ran into Zuo Qingfei of the Zuo Clan of the Array Spirit Domain on the Abandoned Plains. Elder Su told me he’s from one of your branch families."
Jiang Chen turned to Zuo Lincheng.
"Yes."
Zuo Lincheng nodded slightly.
"You might want to pay some attention to him. His attainments in the Formation arts..."
Jiang Chen glanced at Zuo Qiqi and didn’t finish the sentence, but his meaning was already very clear.
At those words, not only did Zuo Lincheng freeze, but even Su Lieyang and the others showed astonishment in their eyes.
