Chapter 270: The Competition Rules Have Changed
Zhang Ruohua, having received Old Master Tang’s affirmation, looked towards Xingnong, her eyes filled with a hint of pride.
Xingnong found it amusing and said, “Then let Miss Zhang be the leader!”
Xingnong had no objections to who became the leader. After all, the rewards for the team competition were given based on individual performance, so it didn’t affect her interests.
Deng Wenyuan and the others were unhappy, but what could they do?
Old Master Tang said, “While there’s still time, you all should discuss amongst yourselves.”
Zhang Ruohua immediately said, “I’ve already found out that the person setting up the formations for this team competition is Old Master Guo from the Jin Kingdom. Old Master Guo is an all-around formation master; he’s proficient in formations of all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. However, he’s most skilled in formations of fire, wood, and earth. I estimate that this team formation will primarily be a fire-based formation. Look at the formation in the distance, don’t you feel a hint of fire energy? It just so happens that I have many design diagrams of fire-based formations that Old Master Guo shared previously. Let’s all take a look and see if there’s anything you don’t understand. We can take this opportunity to ask Old Master Tang.”
However, Old Master Tang stood up and said, “I have to go up to the stage now. You all can continue your discussion.”
He was here to be a judge, so his place wasn’t here. Now that the formation masters from other countries were going up on stage, he followed suit.
Hearing this, everyone looked over. The formation appeared to be a sea of red, indeed looking like a formation based on the fire element.
Zhang Ruohua, as the leader, had done her homework. She had even asked her senior brother from the Admiral’s Military Headquarters to help gather information about this Youth Formation Master Competition, including Old Master Guo’s preferences for formations. Old Master Guo was known for his fondness for fire-based formations.
Moreover, she had deliberately waited until the last moment to bring out these materials, her aim being to secure her position as leader.
She distributed the formation diagrams in her hand to everyone.
Princess Shengping, having heard Zhang Ruohua’s words, looked over, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes.
Feeling a hint of fire energy? Just because it’s red means it’s a fire-based formation?
This was the leader of the Chu Kingdom’s formation master team?
With such skill? She was genuinely worried that Shen Xingnong would appear too foolish, bringing shame upon her as her cousin!
The venue for the Youth Formation Master Competition had been sealed off before the competition, with people from the four kingdoms guarding it together, ensuring fairness and impartiality.
Therefore, although this formation competition was being held in the Jin Kingdom, today was the first time Princess Shengping had entered the venue and seen the layout of the team competition formation.
But she could tell at a glance that it wasn’t a fire-based formation!
Unable to bear listening any longer, Princess Shengping stood up and walked away, afraid of being angered to death by this group of fools from the Chu Kingdom.
Xingnong flipped through the diagrams, intending to study them seriously. However, she realized that Chu Tiankuo had already given her all of these, so she stopped flipping.
Seeing that she had stopped looking, Li Wenhao immediately asked, “Miss Shen, aren’t you going to look at them?”
Wen Yuanqian also looked at her upon hearing this.
The others also stopped flipping through the materials and looked at her.
Xingnong shook her head and said, “I’ve already seen them all.”
Zhang Ruohua was displeased. Why were these people looking at her? Were they acknowledging her as the leader in words but following Shen Xingnong in actions?
She was about to say how could she have possibly seen them, as these were materials she had asked her senior brother to find, but then Zhang Ruohua immediately remembered that she was a princess of the Jin Kingdom. Given how much the Jin Kingdom’s ruler longed for a daughter, which formation master’s diagrams would she not have access to?!
Xingnong asked Zhang Ruohua, “Do you have any materials on Old Master Guo’s wood-based formations?”
Zhang Ruohua said unhappily, “Of course I do, but what time is it now? Why are you looking at wood-based formations? Don’t waste time!”
Xingnong said, “That’s not a fire-based formation; there’s no fire energy within it.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruohua’s eyes widened in disbelief. What nonsense was she talking about?!
“Princess Xingnong, you must be joking! No fire energy? Didn’t you hear the other formation masters saying that it’s a fire-based formation? Oh, right! You arrived the latest, so you wouldn’t have heard!”
However, Wen Yuanqian and the others immediately put down the materials in their hands. “Leader, then let’s look at the wood-based formations! Let’s hurry, don’t waste time!”
“Yes! Leader, if you have the materials, please bring them out. Don’t let us waste any more time! Let’s first take a look at the wood-based formations!”
They all spoke urgently.
Zhang Ruohua was fuming. Had they not heard her words? Was Shen Xingnong the leader, or was she?!
And they had all been sitting here just now. Even if they lacked the ability to judge for themselves, they had all heard the predictions of the other formation masters. Why would they listen to Shen Xingnong’s nonsense?!
✿✿✿
It was simply blind trust!
“That’s definitely a fire-based formation. Studying wood-based formations is a waste of time. I’m the leader and need to guide all of you through the formation. Only by working together can we break it. You should listen to me and focus on studying the materials in your hands. If there’s anything you don’t understand, we can discuss it and try to figure it out. These formations by Old Master Guo are very valuable for learning. I borrowed these, and I have to return them after the competition. If you miss this opportunity, you won’t get to see them again.”
“. . .”
The few of them remained silent for a moment, then looked at Xingnong.
Xingnong said, “If it’s about wood-based formations, will you bring out the materials? If not, I will.”
Zhang Ruohua: “. . .”
At this point, Chu Tiankuo took out a stack of Old Master Guo’s materials on wood-based formations. “Look at these first.”
Wen Yuanqian and the others glanced at the words on the materials, clearly about wood-based formations.
They all immediately reached out and took one to look at.
Zhang Ruohua: “. . .”
She was so angry!
Just wait and see how you regret it later!
She lowered her head and studied the materials in her hand.
Soon, Wen Yuanqian and the others encountered things they didn’t understand. They either asked Xingnong or Chu Tiankuo, but no one asked Zhang Ruohua.
Zhang Ruohua!
~
Two quarters of an hour quickly passed. On the stage, an elderly man with a refined and immortal-like appearance, using his internal energy to project his voice, spoke a few welcoming words. This was Old Master Guo, the foremost formation master among the four kingdoms! He began to announce the rules of the competition: “This time, the competition has some slight changes compared to previous years. In previous competitions, each formation master only needed to design one formation on the spot using chess pieces, set up another formation on the spot, and then break through two formations specifically set up by our countries’ formation masters for this competition. The top ten rankings were determined by the highest cumulative score in the form of points! This year, the changes are quite significant.”
He paused at this point, glancing at the people below the stage.
Everyone understood the previous rules. Feeling nervous, they all waited for him to continue.
Old Master Guo glanced around and then continued, “The young formation masters participating in the competition this year are the strongest group in the past decade or so. Therefore, after discussing with several other formation masters, we’ve decided to increase the difficulty of this competition. Please listen carefully, I will only read the rules once. The first rule is that this year, each formation master needs to design two or more formations using chess pieces. This means at least two, with no upper limit. If you’re capable, you can design three, four, five, or even ten! As long as you complete it within an hour. Each formation has a maximum score of ten points, and the total score is also unlimited; every formation you design will be scored!”
Upon hearing this, there was an uproar among the crowd! This was too outrageous!
Since there was no upper limit, they could use previously designed formations and set up a few more! Every additional point earned was a gain. Everyone thought to themselves, determined to set up as many formations as possible.
Without giving them much time to process their astonishment, Old Master Guo continued: “The second rule is that you need to design at least two formations. One of these formations can be based on a single element or a combination of multiple elements. The second formation must be a formation combining two or more elements; this is the basic requirement! In other words, you must design a formation that combines at least two elements! Otherwise, no matter how many formations you design, if they are all based on a single element, only one formation will be scored! The more elements used in the combined formation, the higher the score.”
Oh my goodness!
These conditions were too harsh!
This meant that some people wouldn’t even have to consider setting up a second formation! Not all formation masters could combine two elements into one formation!
Everyone looked towards the Chu Kingdom’s formation master team!
The Chu Kingdom’s formation masters hadn’t even mastered single-element formations, right? Could they possibly set up a two-element formation?
Hearing these rules, Deng Wenyuan and the others felt secretly relieved! Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince had taught them how to use two elements to set up a formation while they were on the boat!
“The third rule: This is about setting up the formations on the spot. The time limit is two hours. You can set up as many formations as you can within two hours! You can only use one set of materials you’ve prepared yourselves. If you want to set up a second formation, you must draw a slip of paper on the spot using a lottery method and obtain materials according to the contents of the slip.”
As soon as these words were spoken, there were cries of despair from the young formation masters below!
Every formation master had prepared materials for setting up formations, just in case. In the past, if they were short of anything or if transportation was inconvenient, they could simply go to the material supply area and take what they needed!
This time, they had to draw lots to obtain materials, and the materials written on the slip might not be something they knew how to use!
After all, everyone specialized in different elements. If a formation master specializing in the metal element drew materials for the wood element, how could they possibly use them?
Wasn’t this preventing people from setting up a second formation?
Ignoring the complaints, Old Master Guo continued to announce the following rules: “The fourth rule is about breaking through formations. This time, we have prepared a total of ten formations for you to break through. These formations vary in difficulty, with five formations based on a single element and the remaining five combining multiple elements. The time limit is one stick of incense. Each formation has a total score of ten points. You can break through as many formations as you can within the time limit, with a total of one hundred points.”
Everyone couldn’t help but think to themselves, it was said that every time during the formation master competition, the formations were extremely difficult to break through. One stick of incense was such a short amount of time, and with today’s strong wind, the incense would burn even faster! It would be considered good if they could successfully break through one formation and get ten points within one stick of incense. To break through multiple formations? Difficult!
