Battle Calculations, Forging Insights (Seeking Monthly Pass)

Gu Qingchan's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and a trace of pain showed on her delicate, flawless face, as though she were enduring some unknown torment.

Chen Ping'an slowly bent down and reached out before Gu Qingchan.

Although Gu Qingchan had been under his protection during the earlier battle, she had still suffered some shocks. Combined with the Mysterious Wood Poison and Crimson Blood Baleful Intent from before, her condition was unlikely to be very good.

Gazing at the face beautiful as a flower, radiant as the moon before him, Chen Ping'an suppressed the thoughts in his heart.

Buzz~

Spiritual Light lit up between his brows as he pressed a finger to Gu Qingchan's forehead.

A light blue mark slowly surfaced, seeming to instinctively resist Chen Ping'an's spiritual intrusion.

However, Gu Qingchan's little bit of spirituality was clearly incapable of effectively restraining Chen Ping'an.

Very soon, he had thoroughly examined Gu Qingchan's condition.

"Her spirituality has been shaken, and her injuries are unstable. Still, it is much better than expected." Chen Ping'an made his assessment.

Gu Qingchan must have cultivated some special method. Though she had fallen unconscious, the true essence and spirituality within her body were circulating on their own, easing her internal injuries with extreme efficiency.

In this state, she should be able to wake up on her own without excessive intervention from him.

Of course, if Chen Ping'an intervened, he could appropriately speed up the process. However, his spiritual true essence and Gu Qingchan's were not of the same origin. Forcing an intervention might create unnecessary risks.

Unless—

He used spirituality as a guide and engaged in fusion.

But that would—

More or less be taking advantage of her vulnerability.

With her current injuries, there was absolutely no need to go that far.

Moreover, Chen Ping'an still vividly remembered the aftereffects of their previous spiritual fusion.

If he carelessly deepened it again, it would not be a good thing for either him or Gu Qingchan.

Spirituality Guidance and spiritual fusion were different from the spiritual union that only Martial Dao Celestials could touch upon, but they still bore some resemblance to it. One could even say they achieved the same wondrous result by different paths.

It could be called an extremely private matter.

Even Dao companions might not engage in it often.

The Spirit Platform concerned life and death. The slightest carelessness could damage one's foundation. In a matter of such importance, there was naturally no reason to do it unless necessary.

Buzz~

The Spiritual Light between Chen Ping'an's brows gradually dimmed as he withdrew the hand pressed against Gu Qingchan's forehead.

This spiritual sensing had not only allowed him to inspect Gu Qingchan's injuries; it had also confirmed her condition.

Gu Qingchan truly had fallen unconscious. There was nothing false about it—she was genuinely unconscious.

Having confirmed this, Chen Ping'an's expression did not change in the slightest. His eyes were deep, and no one knew what he was thinking.

He did not particularly mind revealing more of his strength, but his Alternate Identity concerned his life. If it could remain hidden, then it was better left hidden, even from Gu Qingchan.

However, at this point, while his Alternate Identity had not been conclusively proven, it was basically no different from having been proven.

Gu Qingchan was not stupid. On the contrary, she was very clever. Judging from the combat strength he had displayed and connecting it with all that had happened before, her deductions would be more or less correct.

From Northern Cang to Three Forks Mountain, then Azure Dragon Province City, Dragon Peace Stronghold, and Thunderous Roar Great City—

There were traces to follow in countless incidents. Once the threads were pulled apart and the cocoon unraveled, the flaws were enormous.

Once might be coincidence. Twice might also be coincidence. But three times? Four times?

Could it still be coincidence?

Especially since he had displayed combat power comparable to a Storm Cloud Great Grandmaster. Though Gu Qingchan had not seen him at his peak, considering the present situation—Blood Nightmare Luo and the others had suffered Death and Dao Extinction while he alone had survived unscathed—she did not need much imagination to piece together the outline of what had happened.

The facts lay right there. No matter how one tried, it was difficult to patch things over.

However—

Chen Ping'an's gaze shifted as he stared at Gu Qingchan's face, beautiful as a flower, radiant as the moon, her flawless and lovely features.

A deduction was still only a deduction. So long as there was no conclusive proof, there was still room to maneuver.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted. In but an instant, he withdrew his gaze.

This battle had yielded brilliant results. He had faced three Pseudo Celestials head-on, calculated and plotted, and in the end, he was the one left standing. It was also the first time in recent days that he had truly unleashed his full strength.

His many methods, secret techniques, and trump cards had all been used without reservation.

At the beginning, he had tested the waters with clashes, employing Tyrant Saber methods at Jade Balance Middle Stage Perfection. Then he had revealed his Great Grandmaster realm and launched a peak strike with a Treasure Prototype.

Later, when the Withered Vine Old Man, White Bone Young Master, and Sha Sha Old Monster appeared, he revealed stronger combat power and contended against them with ordinary Storm Cloud strength.

Then the Pseudo Celestials appeared. He sharply observed the situation and used the Azure Light Thunder Pearl to forcibly withstand a Pseudo Celestial strike, using it as a stepping stone to successfully infiltrate their group.

This move carried no small risk, but its gains were equally immense.

Not only did it reduce the risk of survivors fleeing once he unleashed his full strength, it also allowed him to observe the situation and seize the right moment.

As for the risks involved, he had long prepared his response. Sometimes, the prerequisite for making moves was having the confidence to flip the table.

The Ten Thousand Demons Sect Master and the Evil Extremity Path Master were at odds. Though they claimed to be allied, with opportunity before them, that alliance was undoubtedly unstable.

The Ten Thousand Demons Sect Master had placed Blood Demon Restrictions on Ge Yuntao, Yu Wenqiao, and Sha Sha Old Monster. The Evil Extremity Path Master naturally could not simply stand by.

Whether it was him, White Bone Young Master, or Withered Vine Old Man, their role in those people's eyes had been to serve as buffers.

Unfortunately, they had ultimately been careless.

From the very beginning of the battle, Chen Ping'an had employed methods and tactics to kill the weakest among them, the Skeleton Elder. What he had exploited was their desperation for the opportunity and spiritual treasure.

With one of the three Pseudo Celestials removed, the remaining forces formed a three-way deadlock and descended into chaotic battle. Afterward, he displayed greater strength and drew the wariness of the other two.

In the end, he forced the two to join hands and deal with him together.

Yet, just as he had anticipated, though the two had joined hands in name, there was surely no shortage of mutual wariness between them. During the battle, they likely held much back, each harboring ulterior motives and making their own calculations.

Such an alliance naturally could not exert enough suppressive force. Then, as the situation developed smoothly, the Evil Extremity Path Master—believing Chen Ping'an to be seriously injured—boldly struck out and used the might of a heavy treasure to ambush the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Master.

What followed was extremely clear.

With the power of his physique, supplemented by spirituality and enhanced by divine weapons, Chen Ping'an displayed combat power close to the peak of a Pseudo Celestial. With Overwhelming Force, he suppressed and killed the Evil Extremity Path Master, Blood Nightmare Luo.

Though the Evil Extremity Path Master, Blood Nightmare Luo, had been incomparably cunning and continued plotting even until the moment of death, he ultimately fell beneath Chen Ping'an's Guanghan Moon Reflection.

The Ten Thousand Demons Sect Master had wanted to reap the harvest, using the Blood Devouring Demonic Jar and secret medicine to erupt with power, but he too ultimately died by Chen Ping'an's hand.

Through this battle, Chen Ping'an gained a deeper understanding of his own combat power.

Unlike his previous speculation and analysis, the insights he gained from this battle had all been verified through actual combat. Every relevant circumstance had traces to follow.

Soaring Dragon secret techniques, Seven Absolute Divine Skill, Body Tempering Cultivation Methods, Five Style Killing Fist, Guanghan Sword Skill, Azure Sun Blood Refinement. Then there were the Powerful Divine Weapons: Dark Iron Ingot, Colored Square Cloth, Hundred Illusions Divine Blade, Ink Jade Ring, Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, Skyfall Cold Star Saber—

Each and every one had corresponding battle examples to analyze. None of it was mere illusory speculation.

No matter how much intelligence one gathered, how much one pondered, or how much one deduced, it could never compare to fighting a real battle with real blades and weapons.

Besides gaining a deeper understanding of his own strength, this battle also gave Chen Ping'an greater insight into the Pseudo Celestial realm.

Back in Azure Dragon Province City, he and Cold Nail Qing Fan had fought fiercely, but the overall encounter had been too brief. He had not witnessed the other party's true methods.

But now it was different. This had been a true battle of life and death, one that would not end until one side died. The Pseudo Celestials' trump cards and secret techniques had been displayed before him without reservation.

It gave him countless insights.

Though Pseudo Celestials were not true Martial Dao Celestials, their methods were unfathomable and far beyond what Great Grandmasters could compare to.

With such a disparity in major realms, many of a Great Grandmaster's methods appeared extremely feeble before a Pseudo Celestial. Even years-accumulated old monsters like the Withered Vine Old Man, who had touched the Storm Cloud level, found it difficult for many of their methods to pose any substantive threat before a Pseudo Celestial at full strength.

Many Great Grandmaster secret techniques and trump cards faced elimination before Pseudo Celestials.

For example, the reason Chen Ping'an's spirituality had been able to suppress a Pseudo Celestial's Soul Power so greatly this time was fundamentally because he had built his foundation with Nine Spiritual Patterns in preparation for breaking through. The abundance of his spirituality was simply not something ordinary Great Grandmasters could match.

Furthermore, he had undergone one purification through the Dual Cultivation Method. Upon his already abundant foundation, it had made him even more vigorous and profound. Such a foundation had already surpassed the traditional limits of Great Grandmasters.

With that foundation, though he wielded spirituality, its might was in no way inferior to a Pseudo Celestial's Soul Power. It even surpassed it somewhat.

Pseudo Celestials possessed Soul Power, but in the end, it was still not as pure as that of true Martial Dao Celestials.

Even so, when Chen Ping'an fought Pseudo Celestials, he deeply felt that some of his methods could basically pose no threat to them.

Many methods he had accumulated in his early years had gradually fallen from secret techniques and trump cards into ordinary moves, even auxiliary moves.

For instance, the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill, once one of his most carefully guarded techniques, could now only serve as an addition in battles of this level, assisting the Dragon Elephant Overlord Body together with the Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Art to improve his body-tempering state.

As for the Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger, it had vanished from the stage of battle altogether. Even its strongest secret technique, the Zhen Thunder Finger, was limited by its cultivation method's grade; in terms of might, it was far inferior to the first killing fist of the Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist.

The same was true of the Soaring Dragon Movement Technique. Even secret techniques of that kind could mostly only be used as ordinary methods now. Trying to use them for a final blow was basically impossible.

They could only be laid out gradually, creating the conditions for the true opportunity to strike.

Beyond cultivation methods, in battles at this level, ordinary divine weapons had basically exited the stage of history. Even Powerful Divine Weapons such as the Dark Iron Ingot, Colored Square Cloth, and Hundred Illusions Divine Blade could only be used occasionally. At critical moments, the effect they produced was extremely limited.

The slightest mishap would result in severe spiritual damage and a drop in grade.

To take part as a primary method in battles at the Pseudo Celestial level, one had to at least possess an outstanding specimen among Powerful Divine Weapons.

As for powerful Pseudo Celestials like the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Master and Evil Extremity Path Master, that was the domain of Top Divine Weapons. Even outstanding Powerful Divine Weapons were not qualified.

As one's realm rose and battlefields continuously changed, the methods accumulated in the past would eventually have to be gradually eliminated.

The path of cultivation—cultivation was difficult, accumulation was difficult, protecting the Dao was difficult. How could a single word, "difficult," possibly encompass it all?

The treasures one had made thousands of calculations to obtain for protecting the Dao might, after a long time, fail to keep up with one's progress. The cultivation method one had painstakingly practiced, the secret techniques one had diligently trained, and the trump cards one had accumulated to protect the Dao might no longer have the effects they once did in a true battle.

The path of cultivation lay in renewal.

If one wished to climb to the summit, one must always seek the new!

There were countless insights and emotions, too many to enumerate.

"If I can form my previous insights into a complete system, forge them into myself, and create a cultivation method unique to me, it would not be a waste of all my previous accumulation." Chen Ping'an closed his eyes in thought, quietly pondering.

Things of the past might no longer be useful, but they were the tracks of his growth along the way.

Whether the cultivation methods he had practiced or the things he had accumulated, they might gradually fail to keep up with the battles where he erupted at full strength, but they were all roads he had once walked.

If he could forge them into himself and completely ignite them, they would become the foundation and resources for his Martial Dao to advance another step!

"Iron Cloth, Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training, Golden Bell Shield, Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill, Great Vajra Palm, Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger." Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Ping'an's mind, as though a spark of Spiritual Light was about to burst forth—yet it also seemed to lack just a little heat.

Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes, unable to grasp that fleeting flash of Spiritual Light.

"What a pity."

If he could have seized that flash of Spiritual Light, he might have used it to advance further, forging his insights into himself and forming his own system.

Unfortunately, the timing was not ripe. He was still short by a little.

After a brief ripple of emotion, Chen Ping'an quickly regained his calm.

His cultivation until now had never relied on one or two opportunities. More than that, it rested on keeping his feet on the ground and persevering tirelessly day after day.

Just like this battle, cultivation methods, secret techniques, cultivation, and foundation were certainly important, but his calculations and grasp of the situation had been equally important.

In a chaotic battle, one saw people's hearts all the more clearly.

There were countless subtleties within it.

In battles of this level, erupting with all one's strength from the start would easily make others wary and expose one's own methods ahead of time. If one could not deliver a final blow, it was truly unnecessary waste. It affected the rhythm, affected the Battle Results, and affected far too much.

Battle concerned life and death. Its intricacies were exceedingly complex and truly difficult to describe with words.

As with Chen Ping'an's previous maneuvers, he proceeded step by step and plotted gradually, revealing his strength and methods bit by bit. On one hand, it could demonstrate his unfathomable depth and impose immense psychological pressure on his opponents. On the other, it could leave him room to turn things around.

This style of battle was suited for situations where one did not know the opponent's full details. Through continual probing, one could uncover the other side's methods, summarize countermeasures, then erupt in one stroke and deliver the final blow.

Beyond battle methods, the rhythm and game of the battlefield were equally important.

Through his calculations in this battle, Chen Ping'an had saved one Spirituality Secret Pill and half a portion of Thousand-Year Stone Milk.

Had he fallen into fierce, grueling battle from the very beginning, he would inevitably have consumed the Spirituality Secret Pill and Thousand-Year Stone Milk to display his peak combat power. Yet after carefully tallying things, until the dust settled, he had not used either spiritual item.

It had also reduced the expenditure of this battle by a few degrees and preserved a few more portions of his foundation.

Furthermore, among all factors, the most important was naturally one's own strength. For Chen Ping'an to make it to the end of this fierce battle was inseparable from his own foundation and power.

Speaking of which, the Dual Cultivation Method had provided crucial support for his fierce battle. It allowed him to withstand the high intensity of the fight and repeatedly unleash secret techniques of slaughter during battle, such as activating the various wonders of the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, using the secret killing fists of the Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist, and revealing his strongest body-tempering form.

Every secret technique required enormous expenditure. Ordinary Great Grandmasters, even if they possessed such methods, would find it difficult to bear the corresponding consumption.

Fortunately, Chen Ping'an's foundation had already been Not Bad, and it had further been purified through the Dual Cultivation Method. Only then could he support it all with such composure.

Whether a battle was fierce or not was not judged by its duration, but by the expenditure within it.

Some friendly sparring matches might seem like evenly matched exchanges and last a long time, but they were actually just half-hearted, fishing-style fights. Neither expenditure nor mental effort amounted to much.

Conversely, some life-and-death battles might appear to last no longer than a flash of lightning and spark, yet they were severe tests of both sides' energy and heart's blood. The slightest lapse would mark the difference between life and death.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts turned. Seeing that Gu Qingchan had yet to awaken, he shifted his attention to the gains from this battle.

Buzz~

With a flash of Spiritual Light, a vast number of objects appeared before Chen Ping'an, densely packed and floating in the air before him.