"Aside from one taken aside for research, the rest of the nine Disassembler Discs have always been kept sealed in storage since they were born," Ji Hongdao said with a tinge of emotion. "Their power was in absolute equilibrium, so these siblings have coexisted peacefully all this time.
"However, not long ago, it occurred to me that these treasures would soon be gifted to you juniors, and I would no longer have a chance to study them myself. On a whim, I requested to take them out for a closer examination.
"Unexpectedly, this mistake proved fortunate, allowing me to discover this hidden characteristic ahead of time."
As Ji Hongdao slowly explained the cause, the vast majority of cultivators present showed no particular reaction.
At most, they were like Li Fan, marveling at the strange workings of this world where even artifacts had to be raised like gu insects. After all, these Disassembler Discs were rewards for the top performers, far beyond their reach.
The expressions of the nine cultivators whose names shone brightly at the top of the golden list, however, were far from pleasant.
Anyone would feel terrible knowing a treasure already within their grasp might vanish at any moment.
To have grown accustomed to and awed by the Disassembler Disc's functions, only to helplessly watch it fall behind in the competition and gradually disappear from one's hand... The mere thought was utterly devastating.
If it truly came to such an end, it would’ve been better to have never possessed it at all. Otherwise, it would inevitably become a lifelong demon in one's heart, one excruciatingly difficult to dispel.
Yet, from another perspective, the top nine on the list could be called heaven's favored. Each possessed their own pride; it was impossible for them to admit defeat without a fight and simply give up.
No wonder Ji Hongdao wore that expression. Li Fan thought, his mind racing. The accidental deaths of Tantai Tao and a dozen others were already a painful loss for the Strategy Array Hall. And these top nine cultivators are all promising seedlings, each one outstanding. Losing even one more would be unacceptable.
Nine discs contend for supremacy; the victor takes all. The eight losers would inevitably be affected, most likely left broken and unable to recover.
For the Myriad Immortals Alliance, our greatest utility as trainees is our ability to construct the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Arrays.
Even if the ultimate winner might become a true master of the array path, from the Alliance's perspective, it would mean losing eight elite laborers at once.
Their resolve to construct the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Arrays is so strong that the Alliance would naturally not allow such a thing to happen.
In a flash, Li Fan had pieced together the entire chain of events.
Sure enough, Ji Hongdao continued, "Each of you is an indispensable asset for the Myriad Immortals Alliance. The loss of even one is a heavy blow we can scarcely bear. We naturally will not permit such fratricidal conflict to occur.
"Therefore, after serious deliberation, we have decided to change the prize for this assessment. Instead of the Disassembler Disc, it will be replaced by the Strategy Array Hall's specially crafted Array Breaker Jade Disc, a tool previously reserved only for array path masters at the Spirit Transformation realm and above."
Ji Hongdao's announcement failed to stir much of a reaction.
How could an array-breaking artifact, even one designated for Spirit Transformation array masters, compare to a secondary entity of the Tianxuan Mirror?
Ji Hongdao spoke again, "We acknowledge that this was a mistake on our part. To make amends, we have decided to expand the number of awardees from the top nine to the top one hundred."
This statement finally caused a stir among the crowd. After all, they had already thought themselves out of the running. Now, a prize had fallen from the sky out of nowhere, so a little thrill was only natural.
Li Fan immediately glanced up at the golden rankings in the sky.
One hundredth place, exactly.
The result was slightly better than he had anticipated.
It seems that the hub device’s slight adjustment had a transformative effect, turning the mundane into the miraculous. Li Fan thought to himself.
Yet, after only a moment of mild surprise, Li Fan quickly settled his emotions and fixed his gaze on Ji Hongdao in the sky.
This man undoubtedly had more important matters to announce. And that would be the true, weighty subject of today.
No one had known beforehand that the true prize was the Disassembler Disc. Upon discovering the issue with the prize, they could have simply announced the replacement directly. Why go through all these twists and turns today, repeatedly manipulating everyone's emotions?
Li Fan regarded the Disassembler Disc with equanimity, which was why he could remain as coolly analytical as an outsider, constantly dissecting Ji Hongdao's intentions.
Sure enough, once the crowd had gradually quieted, Ji Hongdao finally announced, "As for those nine Disassembler Discs..."
He paused slightly, drawing the full attention of the trainees, before continuing slowly, "We have decided to use a special method to catalyze their mutual devouring process.
"Within ten years, we will cultivate the final, one and only, Disassembler Disc. And this true Disassembler Disc will not be reclaimed by the Alliance.
"Its ownership will still belong to one of you."
His words fell like thunder, startling Qi Chengcheng and the others in the top nine. Previously somewhat sullen, their eyes once again gleamed with hope.
"You should all be aware that the reason a treasure like the Disassembler Disc could be offered as a reward for this ordinary assessment is precisely that the Alliance places extreme importance on the construction of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Arrays.
"Although there have been some minor missteps in the process, our original intent remains unchanged!"
Ji Hongdao's tone grew heavier, his expression stern as he declared, "To reiterate the Alliance's determination once more, and to inspire everyone to strive and compete...
"As approved by headquarters, the ultimate victor of this nine-disc contest will be bestowed as a reward upon the array master who contributes the most to the universal implementation plan of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array!"
Hearing this, Li Fan drew a sharp, inward breath, unable to stop himself from marveling inwardly.
What a masterful maneuver!
All these twists and turns, these repeated reversals today—this was the goal all along, wasn't it?
After such dramatic psychological highs and lows, the temptation is far stronger than if they had announced this outcome directly.
They’ll no longer need to worry whether these disciples will fight tooth and nail for it.
Li Fan could almost foresee it now: for the sake of this Disassembler Disc, which "holds the hope of growing into the next Tianxuan Mirror," these array masters would grind themselves into the dust during the coming construction period.
They would likely become beings more driven and exploited than beasts of burden.
It seems that the universal implementation of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array will absolutely be much faster than I imagined.
I don’t have much time left.
But why do I have this nagging feeling? It seems the Myriad Immortals Alliance is acting with unusual haste regarding this matter.
The Myriad Immortals Alliance has stood for millennia. Its rule is as solid as a fortress.
The Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array is just the next logical step. They could implement it gradually, with steady planning. There's no need for all these additional, forceful measures.
Why are they in such a hurry?
Li Fan was lost in thought for some time.