"I underestimated these array prodigies. I can't make up for the foundations they've built over decades with just a few dozen days of effort."
Qin Yan sighed inwardly.
These prodigies from the Heavenly Pivot Array Sect and other array-path factions had been steeped in arrays since childhood, studying Formations day after day for decades. Their foundations ran far deeper than those of an Array Mage like him, who had come to the craft late.
Qin Yan pushed down his tangled thoughts and walked toward another High-Eighth Grade Formation.
Things had come this far. All he could do was give it everything he had.
All that mattered was doing his best.
Over the days that followed, all twelve prodigies threw themselves into the contest.
They studied Formations desperately, like twelve tireless array machines.
Within the Ten Thousand Arrays Space, streams of consciousness darted between Formations like fish, each carrying its own determination and longing.
Time passed slowly.
Several days went by.
One day, Lin Xuan, who ranked ninth, had just finished comprehending a Formation and was feeling delighted.
He rubbed his throbbing temples and let out a long breath.
It had taken him nearly two hours to barely comprehend that Formation. The sense of achievement revived even his exhausted mind.
But when he looked up at the ranking, he froze.
He had fallen to tenth place.
Lin Xuan scanned upward and spotted a name.
Qin Yan—730 Points.
"Good grief! How are Qin Yan's Points climbing so fast?"
Lin Xuan cried out, disbelief filling his eyes.
He looked at his own 690 Points, then at Qin Yan's 730. A full forty Points separated them.
That meant there was a huge gap between their comprehension speeds!
As he exclaimed, he saw Qin Yan's score leap by another fifteen Points in an instant.
Qin