Among the evaluation metrics, Zhang Sheng had never even heard of "ease of use" and "versatility," let alone understood them. While she could grasp the literal meaning of array stability and array consumption, she had never paid any mind to either.
Any array she designed was inherently stable, and only auxiliary cultivation arrays like Spirit Gathering Arrays or Alchemical Fire Arrays placed any emphasis on consumption. Zhang Sheng excelled in lethal slaughter arrays and karmic luck arrays—why would either of those ever need to bother with stability and consumption?
Yet clearly, within the framework of this research institute, stability and consumption were given substantial weight.
What rankled Zhang Sheng most was still array functionality. If the functional potency of an array she had designed was rated merely "Pass," who could dare claim to be anything higher?
The angrier she grew, the calmer Zhang Sheng became. The giant characters reading "Failed" were a humiliation unlike anything she had ever suffered in her entire life.
Zhang Sheng quickly located the documentation the young girl had mentioned. Sweeping her divine sense through it, she first searched for detailed explanations of each evaluation criterion.
The document was designed with remarkable conciseness and efficiency, proving even easier to navigate than the search systems of the Palace of Grand Beginning's Hall of Missions and Hall of Merits. Zhang Sheng soon found the descriptions for each metric.
She began with the explanations for ease of use and versatility. The so-called "ease of use" mainly referred to the control and operation of the spell array; generally speaking, the simpler and more direct it was, the faster its response, and the more accurate its reactions, the better.
This criterion was easy enough to understand, but Zhang Sheng stared at it for a long while before she could suppress her indignation.
Ancient tradition held that a spell array was not merely a mechanical formation, but a portal granting insight into its creator's mind and soul.
Therefore, a truly exceptional array not only had to possess understated reserve, but also archaic elegance, the resonance of the Great Dao, and a sense of enduring vicissitude—where deliberate simplicity surpassed showy cleverness. When crafting an array, some masters would even deliberately introduce slight hesitations to embody the profound Daoist principle that the Heavenly Dao leaves one path open for escape.
Yet here, measured by this standard of ease of use, ninety-nine percent of the array masters in this world would likely fail!
Zhang Sheng felt an instinctive revulsion toward such a metric. Even a brothel courtesan maintained some reserve—what did you call someone who fell flat on her back at the slightest nudge?
If ease of use merely provoked disgust, then versatility left Zhang Sheng genuinely bewildered.
Versatility referred to how easily a spell array could interface or integrate with other arrays, or how easily other cultivators could maintain and modify it. From the explanation of versatility, Zhang Sheng even learned the concept of an "interface." The assignments here generally required arrays to utilize standard interfaces as much as possible; even if not immediately needed, it was best to leave space reserved for an interface.
Yet the arrays Zhang Sheng designed were never intended for anyone else's use. Never mind that she hadn't known what an interface was back then—even if she had, she would never have left room for such a thing!
The second requirement of versatility was to employ standard functional modules as much as possible, using that as an important benchmark for rating.
"Functional module" was yet another phrase where Zhang Sheng recognized every single word, yet had no idea what it actually meant.
She continued searching the documentation and soon found the explanation. A functional module meant taking common array functions—such as generating Wood from Water, converting Water-aspected magic power into Wood-aspected magic power—and separating them out into individual miniature spell arrays. These would then connect via standard interfaces to other functional modules, becoming part of a larger and more complex array.
Within the research institute, the vast majority of functional modules were open-source, freely available to array designers. Only a few confidential modules required reaching a certain clearance level before one could study and utilize them.
Having read through these two criteria, Zhang Sheng's anger cooled considerably. This research institute truly had some substance to it. Arrays designed according to these two standards could probably be operated with ease even by mediocre cultivators. If applied to warfare, their utility would be immeasurable.
Even so, Zhang Sheng remained deeply resentful over her array's overall functional potency being rated merely "Pass." Continuing downward, she indeed made new discoveries.
Array stability did not just mean stable operation; it also encompassed the ability to withstand harsh environments, such as blazing fire or lightning strikes.
Array consumption was also broken down into far finer categories than she had anticipated. Having a low overall spiritual energy consumption was not enough; a further requirement was utilizing the abundant ambient spiritual energy of the local environment. For instance, in the Wu domain, an array should be designed around Water and Wood, whereas in the Liao domain, it should be Metal and Earth. If spirit items were used for power, one should prioritize whichever spirit items were plentiful and cheap.
Reading this, Zhang Sheng felt steam ready to vent from her head again. Were such trivial details really that important?
At last, she reached array functional potency. This metric was evaluated using a standardized score, accompanied by a leaderboard. The array Zhang Sheng had designed scored seventy points. Idly opening the leaderboard, she nearly blacked out!
There were ninety-two people on the list in total, and Zhang Sheng's seventy points ranked ninety-first!
Zhang Sheng turned back page by page, determined to memorize every single one of those names. In all her life, she had never once placed second!
As she browsed, her gaze suddenly froze. She saw Cui Yu's name.
Cui Yu scored eighty-three points, ranking fourteenth.
Zhang Sheng closed her eyes, subduing the surging murderous intent in her heart. Then, her mind settling until it was as calm as unruffled water, she began to meticulously read through all the materials she could find.
Before long, she discovered numerous array books listed in the documentation, including titles like Principles of Standard Array Interfaces, Superposition Methods for High-Order Arrays, Advanced Array Design, and so on. Zhang Sheng skimmed past these baffling titles and selected an essay titled A Preliminary Investigation into Enhancing the Power of Super-Tier Arrays, thinking it might offer her some inspiration.
Opening the article, Zhang Sheng scanned through ten lines at a glance, but her reading pace grew slower and slower until she ground to a halt.
This article... actually seems to make some sense... Zhang Sheng silently closed the document and picked out Advanced Array Optimization Methods, closing it and setting it aside a moment later.
After cycling through seven or eight volumes like this, Zhang Sheng finally found a book called Basic Mathematical and Physical Principles of Spell Array Design. Treasuring it like a rare gem, she studied it in meticulous detail, losing all track of time.
Meanwhile, in Qingming, broad daylight had arrived. Wei Yuan had already met consecutively with several city lords and over a dozen military generals, and taken a tour around the medicine garden.
The immortal soil he had won from the chess match had already been handed over to Daoist Chuhe, who used it to cultivate ice mulberry, boosting efficiency tremendously. Less than a month after Wei Yuan's departure, the ice mulberry had already mutated and evolved twice more. It had now reached mature standards and could begin large-scale seedling propagation. By late summer or early autumn, there would be abundant mulberry saplings ready for replacement planting and grafting.
Returning to the small courtyard where Zhang Sheng resided, he saw she was still deep in slumber. Her brows were loftily arched and her expression serene, yet between her brows coalesced a thunderous murderous aura; heaven only knew what she was pondering.
Wei Yuan pulled the blanket up over her, gently kissed her lips, and drew the curtains to shut out the daylight. Leaving the room, he shut the door behind him. Still somewhat uneasy, he stationed a dharma idol warrior in the courtyard to stand guard, in addition to the original four Dao Foundation warriors.
Checking the time, Wei Yuan saw he was due to meet a delegation of chamber of commerce leaders, so he soared into the sky and sped eastward in a flash.
Within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, Zhang Sheng was lost in a state of self-forgetfulness, utterly engrossed in her reading, when the gentle chime of a chime bell rang by her ear, calling her back from the realm of mathematics and physics.
Looking up, Zhang Sheng saw the young girl holding an exquisite bronze chime bell, having just struck it beside her ear. The chime had the effect of soothing divine sense and was extraordinarily pleasant to hear.
"Your time is up; you should return," the girl said.
Zhang Sheng rose as told and vacated her seat, only to see someone rushing over and heading straight for her desk, clearly intending to take the spot.
Zhang Sheng frowned slightly. She had never liked sharing things with others—Wei Yuan being an exception, and Ji Liuli being another.
Seeming to sense her thoughts, the girl pointed a finger at Zhang Sheng's seat. It was instantly sealed off so that no one else could use it. The man was taken aback, but said nothing; looking around, he was guided by another blue-clad girl nearby to a new seat, pulled down a glowing orb, and plunged into his work.
Zhang Sheng was well pleased, yet felt a touch apologetic. "Is this appropriate? I am a newcomer here; do not break the rules on my account."
The girl merely replied, "You are worth it."
With just those words, Zhang Sheng felt an immediate sense of finding a kindred spirit. But she had never been good at expressing such things, so she followed the girl out of the research institute in silence.
Just outside the main gates, Zhang Sheng suddenly spotted a statue standing not far away. The statue was exceedingly crude and roughly sculpted, yet she could still recognize a familiar face, with a long tail that was especially conspicuous.
Zhang Sheng stared in surprise. Is that Tianyu?
Several hundred people stood queued in line. Under the direction of several cultivators, they gathered around the statue, knelt in unison, and began kowtowing while chanting in chorus: "Lord Tianyu, Might of the Nine Desolations, we sincerely thank you for your profound kindness and great virtue! Such virtue can never be repaid, so we can only offer our ceaseless gratitude to you, and our gratitude to your entire family..."
Zhang Sheng did not understand what these people were doing, but seeing how solemn and organized they were, it seemed they were engaged in something of great importance.
Leading the way, the young girl moved at a pace that seemed slow yet was remarkably swift, returning to Zhang Sheng's courtyard in the blink of an eye. The girl said, "Lie quietly and sleep, and you may leave. It is the same whenever you wish to return."
Zhang Sheng nodded, lay down on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep before long.
When she opened her eyes again, she found the room pitch-black and bathed in warm comfort, and knew Wei Yuan had been here. Rising to dress, she drew open the curtains and dispelled the light-blocking array. Outside the window, sunlight filled the sky; the weather today was exceptionally fine.
Sitting at the desk, Zhang Sheng picked up a sheet of jade paper, dipped a brush, and wrote down the title: Basic Mathematical and Physical Principles of Spell Array Design. Yet gazing at the title, she could not shake a strange sense of incongruity. The name was remarkably simple and straightforward—almost anyone who was literate could understand it—but precisely because it was so plain and direct, it lacked even a shred of aesthetic grace.
Just like the Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor that Wei Yuan cultivated: if placed in that research institute, its title would most likely be renamed "Cultivation System for Yin Moon-Phase Mana and Its Ten Thousand Basic Variations."
Zhang Sheng brushed aside such strange thoughts and transcribed from memory the book she had read, studying it two more times. Then she closed her eyes in deep contemplation, opening them only after two full hours had passed. The contents of the entire book were now thoroughly mastered and held in her mind.
Having mastered the book's contents, Zhang Sheng realized that much of the material regarding modules and interfaces was built upon it; only now did she somewhat grasp the principles behind them.
The book's contents seemed remarkably similar to the otherworld described by Xu Wenwu. It was just that Xu Wenwu had long since returned everything he had learned to his teachers, remembering at most a few descriptions and terminology, having forgotten even basic trigonometric functions completely. In this book, however, were tangible, solid principles, retrieving everything that Xu Wenwu had lost.
Zhang Sheng stood, took a fasting pill, and retrieved a Daoist treatise, intending to study it. But after flipping through a few pages, she could read no further. The three giant characters reading "Failed" floated constantly before her eyes, impossible to shake off.
Decisive as ever, Zhang Sheng returned to the bed and closed her eyes to sleep.
When she opened her eyes once more, the room's furnishings were unchanged, except that the desk now bore reports on Qingming's current status. Zhang Sheng rose, and the young girl appeared again. Showing no surprise at Zhang Sheng's return, she guided her back to the Creation of Heaven and Earth Research Institute.
The seat was still the same seat. Cui Yu, however, was not here at the moment; a young woman was sitting in his former spot, hard at work. Zhang Sheng was in no hurry to complete her design task. Instead, she selected another book and began reading in earnest.
Chapter 462