Reflecting on Battle, Planning for the Future

I stared at the stone with carved words, my hand slowly clenching into a fist. The dead ferocious beast cub still hung from the broken log, swaying gently in the wind. Its chest cavity, ripped open, revealed white bone, with a stone shoved between its ribs. The inscription was clear: "Next time, it's your turn."

I didn't look away.

The spirit beast lay beside me, its breathing steadier than before. A patch of its fur was scorched, forming a thin scab near its hind leg. It looked up at me, letting out a low sound from its throat, as if reminding me not to keep staring at that thing.

I knew I shouldn't look for too long. But this threat wasn't empty; it was aimed at me.

I stood up and walked over to take the cub down from the branch. Its body was already stiff, but I didn't throw it far, placing it on a clear patch of ground not far from the center. Then, I took out a handful of grayish-white powder from my pocket and sprinkled it around. This was the exorcism powder rewarded by the System; it would leave a trace, and if anyone came to tamper with the corpse again, I would know immediately.

After doing all this, I returned to my original spot and sat down. Flowing Abyss was stuck in the ground before me, the cracks on its hilt not yet repaired. I reached out and touched the edge of the blade; there was a tiny nick that glinted in the sunlight.

In the battle just now, I had used too many magical treasures and relied too much on frontal assaults. The Mystic Light Mirror had lost thirty percent of its restrictions, and two links of the chains on the Mountain Suppressing Ring had cracked when it landed; repairing them wouldn't be easy. More troublesome was that when the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art reached the seventh level, my meridians felt like they were tearing. I hadn't stopped, but if I had continued, I might have damaged my foundation.

I closed my eyes and summoned the System interface.

[Battle Log Replay Function Unlocked]

[Retrieve Full Footage?]

I tapped "Yes."

A phantom image unfolded before me. The scene began with the disturbed earth on the north slope and ended with the leader's rout. I watched it frame by frame, focusing on my own reaction times.

During the first surprise attack, I reacted within five seconds, which wasn't slow. But when the ground tremors and aerial assault happened simultaneously, I was almost two breaths late in ordering the defense line to contract. Those two breaths were enough for the ferocious beasts to approach the water source area. If the Stream Demon hadn't laid down an ice barrier beforehand, the array core might have been destroyed.

My second mistake was in command. After the mist cicada transmitted the message, I only told it to remain hidden and didn't have the feathered birds take over aerial surveillance. As a result, when the winged claw beast descended, there was no warning, and I was almost caught off guard.

The third... was when facing the leader. I waited until it was about to break the array before making a move; I could have suppressed it earlier. I hesitated then, afraid the trap wasn't properly set. But it was precisely this hesitation that caused the wood spirit to endure more impact.

I finished watching the entire replay and opened my eyes.

The problem wasn't my strength, but my judgment speed and tactical distribution. I wasn't fighting alone, but I was fighting like I was.

I reached out and patted the spirit beast's head. "We need to get stronger. Not just me, but you, and them too."

It nuzzled my hand, making no sound and not moving.

I opened the System again, flipping to the cultivation technique learning module. The Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art was currently mastered up to the seventh level. The eighth level required proof of "spiritual sense penetrating three layers of barriers" to unlock. I couldn't do that now. I had tried to brute-force it once before, and the backlash had been severe.

I tapped on the array category again. A prompt popped up:

[Detected Composite Defense Requirement, Unlocked "Array Synergy" Low-Level Deduction Question Bank. Three questions can be challenged daily. Correct answers reward cultivation resources, incorrect answers deduct a small amount of spiritual power.]

This question bank had been available yesterday, but I hadn't touched it. Now, it seemed I couldn't delay any longer.

I selected the first question.

[Question: When the enemy attacks from ground, underground, and air simultaneously, and your side only has five collaborators, what should be the optimal placement for the array cores?]

There were four options.

I stared at the question for a long time. I mentally reviewed the valley's terrain, the wood spirit's position, the stream demon's water line, and the rock lizard's burrowing paths. Finally, I chose C.

[Correct Answer]

[Reward: One Low-Grade Spirit Stone, Two Array Talisman Papers]

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I was heading in the right direction.

Next, the second question.

[Question: If the main array core is damaged, how can the collaborators' spiritual power be used to temporarily construct a secondary core?]

This question was more difficult. I recalled the scene when the incomplete spirit gathering array scroll was burned last time. Back then, I had only used the Mystic Light Mirror to forcibly activate the earth veins; it was an emergency measure, not a true reconstruction.

I remembered what Zhen Yuanzi had said. He had mentioned "borrowing roots to guide energy, using sound to transmit through meridians." The wood spirit had root systems connected to the underground, and the mist cicada could transmit high-frequency vibrations. Perhaps they could be used as intermediaries?

I tried selecting a solution.

[Correct Answer]

[Reward: A segment of Basic Array Cultivation Insights]

Having answered two questions correctly in a row, I felt a little more at ease. At least I wasn't completely clueless.

The third question arrived.

[Question: Without revealing your own position, how can you use the collaborators' senses to pinpoint the enemy controller's location?]

I stopped.

This question directly addressed the person on the mountaintop earlier. He had controlled the ferocious beasts with a talisman and destroyed the evidence before leaving. If I had been able to locate him in advance, even just knowing which mountain ridge he was on, the situation would have been different.

I carefully read the question and deduced several possibilities repeatedly. Finally, I chose a method based on "tracing residual aura backward."

[Incorrect Answer]

[Penalty: Spiritual Power -5%]

A slight sensation of emptiness spread from my Dantian. It wasn't much, but I could feel it.

I gritted my teeth. Wrong is wrong. I couldn't guess on these questions; I had to understand them.

I noted the flaws in my reasoning for this question and decided to try again tomorrow.

The sky gradually brightened. The morning light fell on the ruins, casting mottled shadows. I stood up and stretched my shoulders. The swelling pain in my meridians had lessened, but I still couldn't circulate my power at full capacity.

I walked to the north slope and dug out the incomplete spirit gathering array scroll. The burned edges had carbonized, but the main structure was still intact. I took out the repair fluid rewarded by the System and applied it bit by bit. The scroll absorbed it and emitted a faint blue light; the cracks had shrunk slightly but were not yet fully restored.

"I need to find a quiet time to properly cultivate," I said.

The spirit beasts followed behind me, silent the entire way.

I returned to the central area, drew Flowing Abyss, and wiped its blade with a cloth. The chip was still there, so I took out a whetstone and began to polish it bit by bit. The sound of metal against stone was clear, one strike, then another.

Just then, the System popped up another notification:

[Current cultivation direction assessment complete]

[Conclusion: Existing techniques focus on single-target combat, lacking group synergy support; artifact usage efficiency at 67%, with room for improvement; recommend prioritizing the supplementation of array and cooperation-based skills.]

I looked at the notification and nodded.

Before, I thought getting stronger meant practicing more and obtaining more artifacts. Now I understand, true strength is being able to make those around you play a role together.

I put away the whetstone and sat down cross-legged.

The plan for the next stage slowly took shape in my mind.

In the short term, I'll focus on three things: First, repair the spirit gathering array diagram and restore the valley's spiritual veins; second, have the wood spirit re-extend its roots into the ground to cooperate with the Mystic Light Mirror in stabilizing spiritual energy flow; third, complete three array problems daily to fully grasp the synergy system.

In the mid-term, I'll see if the System can unlock a technique matching test. While the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art is good, it might not be the most suitable for me right now. If there's a technique better suited for team combat, I'll switch.

Long-term... I don't want to guard this valley alone anymore. The creatures I've saved, they're willing to stay because they trust me. I can't waste that trust. I can have them help gather information, not just around the valley, but also from further away. Even overhearing a casual remark could be useful.

I remembered something Hong Yun once said: "The Primordial Wilderness is vast; one person cannot go far."

I didn't understand it then. Now, I'm starting to.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the distant mountain pass. The mist hadn't completely cleared there, and I could vaguely see the shadows of a few withered trees.

One day, I will walk out. But not now. My strength isn't enough, and my preparations aren't complete.

I touched the hilt of Flowing Abyss. The crack was still there, but after polishing, it wasn't as noticeable.

Once I finish these three things, I'll think about what's outside.

The spirit beasts suddenly lifted their heads, their ears perked up.

I sensed it too. From beneath the ground in the direction of the East Cliff, a faint tremor could be felt. It wasn't an attack signal, nor the rhythm of a warning.

It was the rock lizards knocking.

Two short taps, followed by one long one.

This was the new secret code we had just established—"Everything is normal."