After watching the recorded projections of Zhu Feng and Cen Chuan's battle, and combining them with the records he had previously seen, Zhang Yu had formed a rough judgment of Cen Chuan's fighting ability.
At the same time, he nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhu Feng's cultivation is quite impressive."
Zhu Feng gave a light laugh. "To speak of it, I was somewhat stronger two hundred years ago than when I had just returned to Celestial Xia. Fortunately, I now have arcane provisions to replenish me, and thus have recovered. Cen Chuan, meanwhile, cultivated abroad for more than three hundred years and likewise had no arcane provisions to sustain him. Even if his cultivation had not declined, he could not have grown much stronger than before. At most, he may have made up for some deficiencies through his magical implements."
Zhang Yu agreed with this assessment; it was the same as his earlier speculation. He estimated that if Cen Chuan's mana had continued to advance over those three hundred years, then he might still surpass him somewhat. But if his progress had been slight, then he might be comparable to Zhang Yu now—or perhaps even weaker. Of course, this was only a rough judgment. Their true measure would only be known after a battle.
Yet one point was certain: judging by Heartlight Seal and mana alone, neither possessed an overwhelming advantage over the other.
However, mana and Heartlight Seal were merely one part of a person's strength. Magical implements, mystic anomalies, battle experience, and one's performance in the heat of battle—only when these were combined could a cultivator's complete combat power be revealed. None of this could be seen from fragments of recorded projections. To determine who stood above the other, there had to be a thorough clash. It was