Chapter 63: Unstable Peace
Silence fell over the room as everyone processed the sudden news.
A Grandmaster was held in the highest regard across all empires.
They were individuals who had reached what was currently considered the peak of a profession.
Needless to say, each of them was treated like a true national treasure, and now someone was telling them that a new one had been born?
It didn’t take long before a wave of questions erupted.
One of the male figures standing on the three pillars of light was the first to speak, asking directly whether the news was true.
At his words, the other two nodded as well, all eyes now fixed on the old man in the center with renewed intensity.
Huì Chéng had expected a reaction like this, and yet he had to admit that the sheer pressure of having all their gazes locked on him, even more intense than before, made him feel a little uneasy.
That said, he didn’t delay in answering.
Instead of a direct yes or no, he simply made a gesture with his hand, and soon a small slip of paper appeared.
It was a paper talisman.
He wrapped it in spiritual energy and raised it, bringing it to the level of the people standing on the pillars before speaking,
"Earlier today, while I was overseeing a promotion exam for Adept rank,
I came across a candidate who managed to draw a Spirit grade rune formation on a simple sheet of talisman paper," he said, beginning to explain the events of the afternoon.
Some of them visibly reacted to those words, especially at the part where someone not even an Adept rank engraver, managed to inscribe a Spirit grade formation.
It was known that only Engravers at the Expert rank and above could create Spirit grade formations, a rank much higher than Mortal grade.
Still, none of them said anything. It might have been unexpected, but it wasn’t enough to get too worked up about.
Every now and then, someone would show up with skills good enough to handle formations of this level even at such a low rank.
In fact, the four of them were all extraordinary talents in their own professions themselves.
They started wondering what any of this had to do with the new Grandmaster.
There was no way the candidate in question could be that person, right?
That idea felt way too absurd, and none of them dared to even consider such a possibility.
"At first, I thought the examinee was lacking in skill, so he decided to use paper as a base instead of something sturdier, but I was wrong,"
"The formation engraved on the slip wasn’t just perfect, but more importantly, it had been engraved with some unique additions.
In theory, those additions would allow it to activate even when drawn on low quality materials like a simple paper talisman ," he said.
And once again, the room sank into silence, this time, even deeper while, unlike before, everyone’s reactions were clearly visible.
Even the Pavilion Master, who until now hadn’t let a single emotion show, seemed taken aback.
Soon, just like the others, she fixed her gaze on the floating talisman.
They all realized it must’ve been the very formation that the young man had drawn during the exam, and their focus instantly locked onto it.
"This... is brilliant," said one of the figures on the pillar, immediately followed by the one next to him.
"Indeed. A solution so simple yet effective, it actually does reduce the pressure exerted on the base by the formation.
Before long, everyone had completely forgotten about Master Huì Chéng and were busy discussing the formation in front of them.
As experts of their level, they could tell at a glance whether a formation worked or not, and even the two Grandmasters who weren’t specialized in rune formations could tell this one likely worked.
Soon enough, they all understood why Huì Chéng had said a new Grandmaster might have been born.
After all, anyone who could come up with an inscription method like this clearly had an in depth understanding of the craft
and not just knowledge, but practical experience as well.
Only masters and grandmasters could possess this level of knowledge, and the fact that he had successfully developed such a method to reduce the pressure exerted by each formation,
without compromising its functions, was more than enough to qualify him as a grandmaster engraver.
Huì Chéng stood there, letting them all discuss the formation, and inside he could only shake his head.
He too, was more or less like them when he saw the formation for the first time, which was only natural.
Anyone at their level would’ve been deeply struck by such a piece of knowledge.
Everyone who had made it this far was greedy for knowledge, constantly searching for ways to sharpen their abilities.
Without that kind of drive, it was hard to surpass the Expert rank, let alone reach The Grandmaster rank in any profession.
Those who had reached this level had often devoted a large part of their lives to their profession.
That said, the woman sitting on what clearly resembled a throne finally stepped in, before the discussion dragged on too long.
"Hmm... This is indeed a delicate matter.
You did well to report it to us right away,
Tell me, do you know who’s behind that boy?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.
If possible, they would have invited that person into the Pavilion right away and offered a position as at least a main elder.
Someone this valuable couldn’t be allowed to slip away,
and worse, if the other empires caught wind of it and made their move first, it would be a serious problem.
None of them wanted this,
the apparent peace between the empires was still very unstable, and far from being completely stable
A new variable like this could seriously put strain on that balance.
Huì Chén understood this point as well, but even so, he could only let out a weary sigh as he said:
"According to what the examinee said, his master prefers to remain alone and undisturbed.
Otherwise, I would’ve already tried to meet him in person today," he said.
The Pavilion Head remained silent at that, as if lost in thought, then finally said,
"Very well.
If that person prefers not to be disturbed, let’s drop the matter for now.
I won’t be able to return to the capital for a while, so don’t do anything until I’m back,"
She said as she rose from her seat, ready to leave,
it was clear the meeting had come to an end.
The others also began to prepare to leave, bowing respectfully to the Pavilion Head as their figures seemed to slowly fade away.
She too had already half disappeared when she suddenly paused for a moment, her voice ringing out again:
"One more thing,
if you can, try to build a good relationship with that boy.
He’s still a talent, and now that he’s joined the Pavilion, it’s our responsibility to cultivate him properly,"
said her voice, echoing through the room, though her figure was no longer there.
Huì Chéng nodded regardless, as the world around him seemed to crack,
and soon, when he opened his eyes, he was no longer in that dark place.
He had returned to his personal workshop.
He said nothing, lost in thought, before finally letting out a sigh and standing up.
"It seems that big changes are about to unfold in the Pavilion..."