Supreme Star Card Master

Chapter 462: Chapter 384 Spirit-Expelling Barrier Chapter 462: Chapter 384 Spirit-Expelling Barrier “Oh?” At the entrance of the Star Storage Hall, Jiang Lang saw Su Yuan. He paused briefly before greeting him, “Su… Su Yuan, you’re Special Envoy Su, right?”

Since Su Yuan was the newly appointed special envoy who received an “excellent” evaluation, even though the previous incident had happened over four months ago, Jiang Lang still had a strong impression of Su Yuan.

Su Yuan responded, “Special Envoy Jiang.”

Jiang Lang smacked his lips, “Last time, I really underestimated you. I didn’t think Special Envoy Su would receive an ‘excellent’ evaluation.”

Su Yuan smiled and said, “It was just luck.”

Jiang Lang laughed heartily, though his inner thoughts were perfectly clear: *Achieving an excellent evaluation in a task leaves no room for luck.*

“Special Envoy Su is here at the Star Storage Hall again. It seems you’ve earned quite a lot of battle merit over the past few months. Truly diligent, unlike us… Alas!”

Jiang Lang sighed deeply. Despite being part of the Sky Patrol Department for years, he remained a Second Level Special Envoy.

Being promoted to First Level Special Envoy was extremely difficult, requiring over ten thousand battle merit points along with completing the promotion task. Across the entire Sky Patrol Department’s Four Imperial ranks, there were fewer than a hundred who managed to achieve it.

As for breaking through to Radiant Moon Level? That was even more out of reach…

Su Yuan’s expression became slightly peculiar at his words.

*In truth, he hadn’t been diligent at all. Other than completing Yang Aoshan’s task after joining the department, he hadn’t taken on any other tasks over the past few months. He felt no small amount of shame…*

Su Yuan changed the subject and said, “I’ll head inside the hall to take a look first. Let’s catch up later.”

“Alright~”

Su Yuan ascended to the second floor, heading directly to the array barrier section, where he began reviewing everything systematically.

“The Mother and Child Soul Hooking Formation can create mental erosion through Ghost Evil; those trapped within the array will endure continuous torment. It also condenses into two connected Fierce Ghosts, which can jointly attack and kill enemies. 800 battle merit.”

“The Summoning Thunder Array gathers Star Power into the skies, summoning Heavenly Thunder with significant destructive power to strike enemies. 820 battle merit.”

“The Earthquake Array can modify the structure within the array, excelling in defense and control. 640 battle merit.”

“The Forest Sea Descent Array…”

“The Dragon Subduing and Tiger Suppressing Array…”

“…”

The Star Storage Hall contained numerous Fourth-Level Arrays and barriers, covering various types and elements.

Most were priced between 500 to 1,000 battle merit. Arrays priced between 1,000 to 2,000 battle merit were rare, and their average cost turned out to be cheaper than Star Cards.

The reason behind this was twofold: arrays, unlike Star Cards, were not consumables, and the limited number of Barrier Masters led to low demand for mid- and low-tier arrays.

However, advanced arrays could very well be far more valuable than Star Cards and Star Devices!

“So, which array should I choose…”

Fourth-Level Arrays could already pose a significant threat to Shining Star Level targets.

While they might work against regular opponents, taking on adversaries like the Twelve Palace Star Envoys meant direct attack-type arrays would likely have limited effectiveness.

Even though Su Yuan lacked offensive techniques, he felt it would be more prudent to wait until the Fifth Level. At the Fourth Level, functional barriers were a better transitional option.

After reviewing the options, his gaze finally settled on the “Spirit-Expelling Barrier.”

The Spirit-Expelling Barrier, priced at 1,500 battle merit, could suppress the Star Power of enemies within the barrier by dispersing it, thereby weakening their combat effectiveness.

When pushed to its limits, the barrier would collapse, unleashing the “Land without Spirit” effect, completely purging all energy within the barrier for a short duration.

According to the details on the Star Page, even attacks at the Radiant Moon Level could be dispelled through the “Land without Spirit” effect.

Setting up this barrier required “Large Specialization” ranging from Second to Fourth Level depending on its size, with minimal demands on other specializations.

“This one it is!”

Su Yuan’s eyes lit up as he immediately chose the Spirit-Expelling Barrier.

Spending 1,500 battle merit made this array one of the pricier Fourth-Level barriers on the second floor.

After acquiring the Spirit-Expelling Barrier array map, he had 1,000 battle merit remaining—enough to choose another notable Fourth-Level Barrier.

Yet, since it was intended as a transitional tool, Su Yuan refrained from picking anything else. *Quality over quantity,* he thought; he’d master this Spirit-Expelling Barrier first before considering another.

“Have you made your choice?” Jiang Lang asked with a smile when Su Yuan came down from the second floor. “Judging by your expression, you seem satisfied?”

“Yes, I’m quite satisfied,” Su Yuan replied with a grin.

*While uncertain about the degree of suppression the Spirit-Expelling Barrier could exert on Star Power, its ability to dispel even Radiant Moon Level attacks with the “Land without Spirit” effect was enough to justify his decision.*

Jiang Lang watched as Su Yuan left, curiosity prompting him to investigate further.

“Last time he picked a near-3,000 battle merit Star Dominator array; what did he select this time… Hm? A 1,500 battle merit Spirit-Expelling Barrier array map?”

“A Fourth-Level Barrier?” Jiang Lang was taken aback. “Could it be he’s also a Barrier Master?”

His expression shifted between astonishment and uncertainty.

Although there were numerous Barrier Masters within Yan Court, the Miracle Workshop overseeing craftsmen of all kinds, including Grandmasters in each field, was based in the eastern division.

As a martial agency, the Sky Patrol Department lacked talent specializing in arrays and barriers. Whenever they needed expertise, they often had to borrow personnel from the Miracle Workshop.

*After all, delving into the Barrier Skill required innate talent and significant time investment!*

*Most in the Sky Patrol Department focused on increasing their strength—who had time for a side hustle?*

“If he truly is a Barrier Master, this Special Envoy Su might quickly gain fame within the Sky Patrol Department…” Jiang Lang’s eyes filled with thoughtful admiration, tinged with envy.

…

Su Yuan returned to his residence at Zhu Yuan and immediately entered the Qingming Realm.

He took out the array map for the Spirit-Expelling Barrier and immersed himself in studying its details.

Setting up a barrier wasn’t akin to painting but rather closer to software development.

An array map was akin to a detailed design document;

To deploy a barrier effectively, one had to thoroughly comprehend the map—the architecture as a whole and the role of each individual module.

Su Yuan spent two days mastering the Spirit-Expelling Barrier map. Once fully grasped, the next step was to implement the array in practice.

But before doing so, Su Yuan had other matters to attend to…

His figure shimmered as he ascended high into the air, looking down upon his personal Small World.

Two successive battles with the Holy Temple Star Envoys had highlighted the immense strength attainable through deep cultivation of the Power of Soul.

Currently, daily meditation had solidified and expanded his Qingming Realm.

*In light of future uses for the Qingming Realm in combat, changes were indeed warranted…*

Su Yuan communicated with the Qingming Profound Phoenix; waves of peculiar energy surged throughout his body, granting him the sense that his very thoughts could reshape the terrain.

“First, I need a space specifically for my own use…”

Su Yuan gazed below. With a thought, the Qingming Realm trembled slightly. The central area, including the Bamboo Sea, separated entirely from its surroundings.

Yet, with his division, the stability of both the central and surrounding areas noticeably diminished.

The smaller the space, the less stable it became.

“Let’s try splitting it further…”

After sensing the structure, Su Yuan divided the surrounding area into four equal Subspaces, reassembling them around the central zone.

Nodding in approval, he remarked, “This will have to suffice for now. Any smaller subdivisions will compromise stability too much, leaving them vulnerable to external attacks.”

Segregation, linkage, transformation…

These were the fundamental manipulations of the Qingming Realm.

Although he hadn’t previously relied much on them, owning a barrier now opened up possibilities for constructing these spaces more effectively.

Su Yuan activated the power of the Heavenly Throne, enveloped in flickering black light, and suddenly materialized within one of the Subspaces.

“Very convenient—it’ll allow me to transport others between these spaces seamlessly.”

Su Yuan observed the ease of moving within realms versus bringing individuals into the Qingming Realm from the outside.

This revelation caused him to reconsider his original arrangement.

“With this functionality, I can fully realize my intended design… Let’s begin!”

In this analogy where the array map is the design document, formation is coding. To achieve the functionality of various modules within the barrier requires specific frameworks, techniques, and methods—far more complex than mere artistry.

Su Yuan wielded highly concentrated Star Liquid as his blade and channeled spiritual power as his guide, beginning the intricate recording process.

The Fourth-Level Barrier was exponentially more complex than its Third-Level counterpart.

Since Su Yuan was deploying this barrier for the first time with the intent to cover an entire Subspace, the workload was significant.

Spiritual power became visibly depleted…

Several days passed.

As Su Yuan unleashed the final trace of Star Power, the Spirit-Expelling Barrier flickered briefly before merging into the ground.

“Finally done!”

Su Yuan exhaled deeply, his face slightly pale.

Even with his considerable spiritual power, he had consumed nearly three-quarters of it.

With the successful setup of the Spirit-Expelling Barrier, comprehension surged within Su Yuan’s mind, prompting him to consult his status panel:

[Barrier Master]

[Level: Fourth-Level (Knowledge: 5%; Experience: 20,000/50,000)]

[Specialization: Large (Fourth-Level), Change (Fourth-Level), Composite (Third-Level), Micro (Third-Level), Layering (Third-Level)…]

[Mastered Barriers: Spirit-Expelling Barrier (Fourth-Level), Water and Fire Rotation (Third-Level), Micro Bright Barrier (Second-Level), Flowing Mist Barrier (First-Level)…]

His expertise increased by 3 percent, and experience jumped by 20,000 points!

While his specialization levels remained unchanged, Su Yuan gained valuable insights into setting up Large Barriers.

Most important of all, the [Spirit-Expelling Barrier] was now listed among his “Mastered Barriers.”

Deploying the Spirit-Expelling Barrier again wouldn’t be a mere copy-paste effort, but it would save significant time by referencing the existing “code.”

“Now, let’s test the true strength of this barrier!”

Su Yuan formed a hand seal, directing Star Power into the ground.

Instantly, blue light emerged from the ground as the Spirit-Expelling Barrier activated. The entire coverage area became infused with dispersal energy.

Su Yuan immediately felt his Star Power suppressed by around thirty percent.

“A thirty percent suppression for Shining Star Level targets—this is impressive for a Fourth-Level Barrier. Definitely worthy of its 1,500 battle merit price tag.”

Su Yuan nodded slightly before his eyes hardened. With another hand seal, the blue light flickered violently, pushing the barrier to its limits.

“Land without Spirit!”

Suddenly, the barrier released a pale blue dispersing force, neutralizing all energy within its scope.

Su Yuan attempted to use the Hellfire technique, but as soon as Star Power emerged from his body, it was nullified by the Spirit-Expelling Barrier.

“Impressive!”

*Su Yuan was momentarily stunned. The barrier’s power exceeded expectations—it likely owed its potency to the expansive setup.*

He then activated Star Dominator, succeeding this time, as self-enhanced abilities managed to bypass the dispersal effect.

With another hand seal, some blue light enveloped him, causing the dispersal energy to bypass his body and restoring his Star Power flow.

“Excellent!”

*Su Yuan’s heart swelled with joy. The Spirit-Expelling Barrier’s capabilities were undeniable, particularly the “Land without Spirit” effect, a powerful ace for clutch situations!*

But before long, the barrier’s blue light flickered chaotically. The entire formation unraveled, dissipating into fragments of spirit light.

“So using the ‘Land without Spirit’ effect caused the barrier to collapse and become unusable?”

*Su Yuan wasn’t disheartened; it was critical to test a barrier’s limits, as failures during combat could mean death.*

*Rebuilding it from scratch was ultimately a small price to pay for thorough testing.*