As cultivators of the same rank and level, Ci Xin, Fairy Huan Cai, and the others naturally compared themselves with Ling Tian. They had come to watch precisely because they had discovered that he was even stronger than they were.
They had thought that after all these years, the gap between them and Ling Tian would have narrowed, or even disappeared. But after watching Ling Tian fight Long Li, they realized his strength was far beyond what they had imagined. The gap between them had not narrowed—instead, it had widened. The result left them deeply discouraged.
"Ling Tian came well prepared for this challenge, and this is the kind of battle he's always been good at," Chi Xue said calmly. He was one of the few among them who wasn't surprised Ling Tian could accomplish so much. He smiled faintly. "Looks like we'll have to spend more time exchanging pointers with him from now on. It'll do us good."
Chi Xue was undeniably clever and knew just what to say. With a few words, he eased everyone's embarrassment and even turned their attention toward learning from Ling Tian—a twofold benefit.
The others were naturally glad to have Chi Xue offer them a way out. They stopped dwelling on the matter and continued watching the battle.
"Chi Xue, Ling Tian really is as crafty and underhanded as ever," the Jade Devouring Sky Python sent through spiritual sense. "If we were facing Long Li, I doubt we could do what he did. We might still win, but it would be much harder—and we might even end up badly hurt along with him."
"True. Ling Tian is better than us at judging the right moment," Chi Xue replied. He sighed. "More importantly, Ling Tian has mastered the Time Secret Technique. That's the key,