However, each time the elder attempted a calculation, he would shake his head and his brows furrowed even deeper. After an hour had passed, he finally threw the bamboo divination aside in frustration and said apologetically, "Everyone, although this old man considers himself to have remarkable accomplishments in the study of the Array Dao, to thoroughly calculate and understand this formation definitely cannot be accomplished within a few short days."
The middle-aged Daoist also knew this formation would not be easy to crack, so he patiently asked, "May I inquire, Hu Lai, how much time would it require?"
The elder raised two fingers and said, "Twenty years."
"Twenty years?"
All the disciples surrounding him exclaimed in astonishment. One of them, with a trace of sarcasm, said, "If it takes you twenty years, why would we bother consulting you?"
