Jiang Chen's research into formations, while not as deep as his knowledge of alchemy in his previous life, was still something he had dabbled in. On top of that, the Danxiao Ancient Sect had been one of the top alchemy sects of the ancient era on the Divine Abyss Continent.
Their preserved texts, the "Hundred Formation Essentials," covered every aspect of formation knowledge. With Jiang Chen's comprehension, referencing this text to inscribe a formation plate was highly likely to succeed.
After all, the technical aspects of inscribing a formation plate were thoroughly covered in the "Hundred Formation Essentials."
Technique, secret methods, materials, combined with formation theory — none of these could be missing.
Jiang Chen might have been somewhat rusty in terms of technique, but he had his advantages: the experience of his previous life, the knowledge and composure he had gained back then.
His past-life memories served as a solid foundation, ensuring that when handling matters, he wouldn't panic or lack confidence the way others might.
Therefore, Jiang Chen was quite confident in inscribing and crafting a formation plate.
The difficulty this time wasn't the creation of the formation plate itself, but rather connecting the plate with those eight statues to form a powerful link. If he couldn't achieve that, then no matter how perfectly the formation plate was crafted, it would be useless.
There were actually many materials one could use to inscribe a formation plate. But materials, too, had their grades — superior and inferior.
The materials collected by the Peacock Great Emperor were undoubtedly of the highest grade.
When Jiang Chen received them, he was genuinely surprised. He clicked his tongue inwardly — worthy of being the foremost Great Emperor of the Radiant Glass Capital, he truly possessed an impressive collection.
Since they had an agreement beforehand, Jiang Chen naturally wouldn't refuse the Peacock Great Emperor's desire to watch.
He prepared a private chamber and set to work.
Time was limited, and Jiang Chen didn't intend to dilly-dally. Fortunately, he had long since formed a thorough plan for this formation plate in his mind.
Like painting — once the image was fully formed in one's chest, the brush moved as if guided by divine help.
Jiang Chen already had a complete conception and framework for the formation plate, so when he began working, inspiration arrived in an endless stream, and there was no such thing as a stall.
The process of inscription went far more smoothly than Jiang Chen had imagined.
Relying on his formidable mental composure, every tiny detail during the inscription process was executed to near perfection.
His workmanship resembled that of a veteran who had been crafting formation plates for centuries — step by step, link by link, without a single oversight.
When the formation plate was finished, Jiang Chen admired it for a moment and felt thoroughly satisfied.
But the next part was the real challenge. Once the formation plate was complete, it had to establish a connection with those eight statues. This connection required resonance through formations.
So-called formation resonance meant that the formation on the plate would trigger the formations on the eight statues, with Jiang Chen's spiritual sense serving as a bridge to establish communication.
This process was extremely technically demanding.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen already had a well-developed plan. Seven days later, this difficult process was finally completed — the last step accomplished under incredibly arduous conditions.
Seeing the resonance formed between the eight statues and his own spiritual sense, Jiang Chen felt deeply gratified. All the hard work of these past days had not been in vain.
These eight statues, in terms of their bearing and their potential for development, had clearly surpassed the former King Shangping. On this point, Jiang Chen had almost no doubt.
By his calculation, only a few days remained before the Martial Tower Tournament.
Jiang Chen emerged from the private chamber and saw the Peacock Great Emperor watching him with an amused expression. He slapped his forehead: "Your Majesty, this junior was so absorbed in his work he nearly forgot this was your territory."
"You brat." The Peacock Great Emperor sighed with admiration. "I didn't expect that you actually knew how to inscribe formation plates. This is practically a lost art from ancient times."
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Luckily, I have a formidable teacher."
The Peacock Great Emperor nodded in agreement. "Having such a powerful teacher makes me feel rather embarrassed that I once wanted to take you as my own disciple."
The Peacock Great Emperor had rarely been impressed by anyone in his life. Having dominated the Radiant Glass Capital for three thousand years and commanded awe throughout the Upper Eight Regions, there were few who could even stand alongside him, let alone earn his genuine admiration.
Yet for this teacher of Jiang Chen's — whom he had never even met — his admiration was truly profound.
The Peacock Great Emperor could easily imagine that this person must be a reclusive supreme powerhouse, perhaps one who had already transcended the Great Emperor realm and achieved an even higher status.
Setting aside the question of what level their martial cultivation had reached, their mastery of alchemy alone, their skill in inscribing formation plates — such breadth of knowledge and talent was absolutely not something an ordinary person could possess.