Time ran on relentlessly.
The second phase of the Jade Palace Formation Tournament unfolded like a chaotic symphony of light, Qi, and concentration.
On the central disc, ninety formation masters worked simultaneously, each within their small territory of plates and spirit stones.
The air was dense, heavy with the metallic scent of energy being consumed, the faint hum of activated runes, and the occasional sound of plates cracking when someone miscalculated the balance.
Kyrian observed everything with crimson eyes that seemed to absorb every detail. He saw the flow of Qi moving between the plates, the lines of energy intertwining or unraveling, and the small human flaws that cost precious minutes or even elimination.
Mei Li, beside him, kept her gaze fixed on the arena, analyzing in silence, but from time to time she whispered brief comments.
"Look… that one just lost the second formation because he didn't calculate the Qi consumption. He'll be stuck on the first."
