Reflecting on Battle, Planning for the Future

I stared at the stone carved with words, my hand slowly clenching. The dead ferocious beast cub still hung from the broken branch, swaying gently in the wind. White bones showed through its split-open chest, and the stone stuffed between its ribs bore a clear message—"Next time, it'll be you."

I didn't look away.

The spirit beast lay beside me, its breathing steadier than before. A patch of its fur had been scorched, and a thin scab had formed near its hind leg. It raised its head to glance at me, letting out a low sound from its throat, as if warning me not to keep staring at that thing.

I knew I couldn't stare for long. But this threat wasn't empty—it was aimed at me.

I stood and walked over to take the cub down from the branch. The corpse had already stiffened, but I didn't throw it far away. I placed it in an open patch not far from the center. Then I took out a handful of grayish-white powder from my robes and scattered it around the area. This was the Evil-Repelling Powder rewarded by the system. It could leave traces, and if anyone came to tamper with the corpse again, I would notice immediately.

Only after finishing that did I return and sit down. Flowing Abyss was planted before me, the cracks along its hilt still unrepaired. I reached out and touched the blade. There was a tiny notch in its edge, glinting beneath the sunlight.

In that battle just now, I had used too many artifacts and relied too heavily on frontal assaults. The Mystic Light Mirror had consumed thirty percent of its restrictions, and the Mountain Suppressing Ring had shattered two sections of its chains when it hit the ground. Neither would be easy to repair. More troublesome still, when the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art reached its seventh level, my meridians had felt as though they were tearing apart. I hadn't stopped, but if the battle had continued, it might have damaged my foundation.

I closed my eyes and summoned the system interface.

[Combat Record Replay Function Unlocked]

[Retrieve the complete footage?]

I selected "Yes."

A phantom image unfolded before me. The recording began with the soil on the northern slope being disturbed and ended with the leader's rout. I watched it frame by frame, focusing on the rhythm of my own responses.

During the first ambush, I reacted within five seconds—not slow. But when the underground tremors and aerial attack struck at the same time, I delayed nearly two breaths before ordering the defensive line to contract. Those two breaths were enough for the ferocious beasts to reach the water source. If the Stream Demon hadn't laid down an ice barrier in advance, the array core might already have been destroyed.

My second mistake was in command. After the mist cicada delivered its message, I only told it to remain hidden. I didn't have the feathered birds take over aerial surveillance. As a result, no one warned us when the wing-clawed ferocious beasts descended, and they nearly caught me off guard.

The third... was when facing the leader. I waited until it was close to breaking the array before acting. I could have suppressed it earlier. I hesitated then, afraid the trap hadn't been fully prepared. But because of that hesitation, the Wood Spirit endured more impact.

After watching the entire replay, I opened my eyes.

The problem wasn't my strength, but the speed of my judgment and tactical allocation. I wasn't fighting alone, yet I fought like I was.

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

It rubbed against my hand without crying out or moving away.

I opened the system again and navigated to the cultivation technique learning module. I had currently mastered the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art to the seventh level. Unlocking the eighth required proof of "spiritual awareness penetrating three barriers." I couldn't do that yet. I had forced my way through once with brute strength before, and the backlash had been severe.

I opened the array category next. The system displayed a prompt:

[Complex defensive needs detected. The low-level "Array Synergy" deduction question bank has been activated. Three questions may be attempted each day. Correct answers grant cultivation resources; incorrect answers deduct a small amount of spiritual power.]

This question bank had appeared yesterday, but I hadn't touched it. Now, it seemed I could no longer put it off.

I selected the first question.

[Question: When the enemy attacks from the ground, underground, and air simultaneously, and your side has only five collaborators, where should the optimal array core be positioned?]

There were four options.

I stared at the question for a long time. The valley terrain, the Wood Spirit's position, the Stream Demon's water routes, and the rock lizard's burrowing paths all ran through my mind. In the end, I chose C.

[Correct answer]

[Reward: One low-grade spirit stone, two array talismans]

I let out a breath. At least my general direction wasn't wrong.

Then came the second question.

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

This one was more difficult. I remembered when the fragment of the Spirit Gathering Array Diagram had been scorched. Back then, I had only forcibly activated the earth veins with the Mystic Light Mirror. That had been an emergency measure, not a true reconstruction.

I recalled what Zhen Yuanzi had said. He had once mentioned, "Borrow roots to guide qi, use sound to transmit through the veins." The Wood Spirit's roots connected to the underground, and the mist cicada could transmit high-frequency vibrations. Perhaps they could serve as relays?

I tried selecting one solution.

[Correct answer]

[Reward: A segment of basic array insights]

Getting two questions right in a row made me feel a little more at ease. At least I wasn't completely ignorant.

The third question arrived.

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

I stopped moving.

This question pointed directly at the person on the mountaintop earlier. He had used a talisman token to control the ferocious beasts, then destroyed the evidence and left. If I had been able to locate him in advance, even if I only knew which ridge he stood on, the situation would have been different.

I read the question carefully, repeatedly deducing several possibilities. In the end, I chose a method that relied on tracing back from lingering aura remnants.

[Incorrect answer]

[Penalty: Spiritual power -5%]

A slight hollowing sensation rose from my dantian. It wasn't much, but I could feel it.

I gritted my teeth. Wrong was wrong. I couldn't guess on questions like this—I had to truly understand them.

I noted the flaw in my reasoning for this question and prepared to try again tomorrow.

The sky gradually brightened. Morning light fell over the ruins, revealing mottled patches of devastation. I stood and rolled my shoulders. The swelling pain in my meridians had eased, but I still couldn't circulate my cultivation at full power.

I walked to the northern slope and dug out the fragment of the Spirit Gathering Array Diagram. The burned edges had already carbonized, but the main structure remained. I took out the repair fluid rewarded by the system and applied it little by little. After the diagram absorbed it, it gave off a faint blue glow. The cracks shrank somewhat, but it had yet to fully recover.

"I need to find some quiet time to repair it properly," I said.

The spirit beast followed behind me without making a sound.

I returned to the central area, pulled out Flowing Abyss, and wiped down the blade with a cloth. The notch was still there. I took out a whetstone and began grinding it away bit by bit. The sound of metal scraping against stone was clear—once, then again.

At that moment, another prompt appeared from the system:

[Current cultivation direction assessment complete]

[Conclusion: Current cultivation techniques emphasize individual combat and lack support for group coordination. Artifact utilization efficiency is at 67%, with room for improvement. Priority recommendation: strengthen array and cooperative skills.]

I looked at the prompt and nodded.

I used to think becoming stronger meant cultivating more and acquiring more artifacts. Now I understood that true strength was being able to let those around me contribute as well.

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

The plan for what came next slowly took shape in my mind.

In the short term, I would do three things first. One, repair the Spirit Gathering Array Diagram and restore the valley's spirit veins. Two, have the Wood Spirit spread its roots underground again, working with the Mystic Light Mirror to stabilize the flow of spiritual energy. Three, complete three array questions every day and fully grasp the coordination system.

In the medium term, I would see whether the system could unlock a cultivation technique compatibility test. The Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art was good, but it might not be the most suitable for me now. If there was a cultivation technique better suited for team combat, then I would have to switch.

In the long term... I didn't want to guard this valley alone anymore. The living beings I had saved were willing to stay because they trusted me. That trust couldn't go to waste. I could have them help gather information—not just around the valley, but news from farther away as well. Even overhearing a casual remark might prove useful.

I remembered something Red Cloud had once said: "The Primordial World is vast. One person can't go far."

I hadn't understood it then. Now, I understood a little.

I opened my eyes and looked toward the distant mountain pass. The mist there had yet to disperse, and the silhouettes of several dead trees could vaguely be seen.

One day, I would leave this place. But not now. My strength wasn't enough, and neither were my preparations.

I touched Flowing Abyss's hilt. The cracks were still there, but after grinding it down, they no longer stood out as much.

Once I finished those three things, I would think about the world outside.

The spirit beast suddenly raised its head, its ears pricking up.

I sensed it too. From beneath the eastern cliff came an extremely faint vibration. It wasn't an attack signal, nor was it a warning rhythm.

The rock lizard was tapping.

Two short taps, then one long.

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