I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1810 - 241: Calm

Chapter 1810: Chapter 241: Calm

Even Jiang Fushen himself could not understand, let alone anyone else.

In the span of one day and one night, he had exhausted every conceivable method, pouring enough life energy to ensure the reincarnation of a singular divine herb thirty million times over.

Yet this immense reservoir of life energy still failed to make the delicate peony before him bloom anew.

Some sorrows arise not from victory or defeat but from losing what once seemed commonplace.

On the Dao stage, the man sitting cross-legged raised his head and gazed at the sky about to break into dawn, murmuring softly, "Daylight is near."

"The flower is fading."

The Hundred Herbs Immortal King, his face marked by deep wrinkles, wore a sorrowful expression, his tone tinged with weariness.

"Is there no solution left, elder?"

The question lacked mockery; it was simple small talk, akin to asking an old friend if they had eaten.

"There is indeed one last method."

Jiang Fushen, staring at the peony with a dazed look, hesitated. His vacillating demeanor resembled not that of a mighty sovereign but an old man lost in the fading twilight of his years.

"Why not try it? Things cannot possibly get worse than they are now."

Tang Luo squinted at the first ray of light spilling across the heavens, his tone calm.

"You have a point."

As if arriving at a critical decision, Jiang Fushen smiled with relief, then closed his eyes.

The Blue Lotus Dao Realm above his head began to blossom. Eighty-one jade-white lotus pores bore a single vibrant, tender green lotus seed. Life’s radiance surged as the lotus petals unfurled, transforming into a brilliant azure sun atop the mountain at dawn.

The great cultivators watching the battle resisted tears as they locked their gaze upon the phenomena birthed by the Blue Lotus. Torrential azure light concentrated and funneled into the lotus seed.

The once-vivid, jade-like Blue Lotus visibly withered into a desolate husk.

The Dao Realm collapsed, fading into ash, leaving only the now-luscious lotus seed.

When Jiang Fushen concentrated his entire Dao Realm into a single lotus seed, Tang Luo seemed slightly taken aback. Although he had surmised the enduring strength of the Medicine God Sect’s former king, this level of capability exceeded all expectations.

It was clear this move was Jiang Fushen’s final gambit. Such condensed life energy rivaled the sword pill Tang Luo had once glimpsed from afar at the White Jade Sword Pavilion.

And indeed, throughout history, those who achieved the King Realm were iron-willed, extraordinarily gifted individuals. Even within a sect as esteemed as the Medicine God Sect, an exceptional "dragon among men" would inevitably emerge. The same could be said for the other combative sects of Zhongzhou.

Little wonder Heaven-level Bloodline Han Wu failed to escape when beset by five kings. If this caliber of kings were present, even a single one could give a Saint reason to tremble.

Such thoughts swirled in Tang Luo’s mind as Jiang Fushen’s actions continued unabated. The condensed lotus seed gently descended beneath the severed roots of the peony, splitting a small opening in its pale green surface. It enveloped the slightly yellowed roots entirely.

In an instant, the peony seemed reborn. The wilting petals of the pale pink flower recovered, regaining vitality like a miracle.

Witnessing this sight, the great cultivators surrounding the scene broke into wide smiles, with some erupting into cheers.

For the Medicine God Sect at this moment, victory was no longer the goal. Achieving a draw had, itself, become a stroke of fortune amid adversity.

Perhaps it was the mesmerizing Blue Lotus Dao Realm or the exhilarating reversal of an impending defeat. Either way, most spectators were incapable of discerning the sorrow lurking in the elder’s downcast gaze.

To merge his entire Dao Realm merely to create fertile soil for a wilting peony’s rebirth—it remained that spiritual power was spiritual power. Even when vast in magnitude, it could never replace the earthy soil found anywhere.

The flower bloomed, the day broke. It meant Tang Luo hadn’t won, and yet, Jiang Fushen hadn’t truly triumphed either. His victory was still far off.

That resurrected peony blossomed for less than three days before dying again. And the once-miraculous lotus seed Dao Realm grew visibly barren.

With the fall of the final pale pink petal, Jiang Fushen weakly raised a hand to retrieve the lotus seed.

"I am not your equal."

The Divine Monarch of Zhongzhou’s Undying World sighed softly.

"Since elder insists on saying so, this junior can only shamelessly accept such praise."

Tang Luo likewise retracted his Dark Sphere Dao Realm, rising from the Dao stage with a smile as he spoke, "Yet if such a draw is to stand, I wonder how the conditions shall be negotiated."

The elderly king, now stripped of his sharpness and murderous aura, seemed kindly, like a neighborly old man. He waved a hand and replied, "As per our initial agreement."

"Many thanks, elder, for your concessions. This junior shall await news at the outer residence."

After a polite bow and laughter, Tang Luo and Jiang Fushen disappeared simultaneously into the skies above He Shou Peak, leaving behind a group of great cultivators staring at one another, bewildered, as they failed to decipher the riddles exchanged between the two.

...

He Shou Peak’s Outer Residence

The moment Tang Luo’s figure materialized, Yun Xiu rushed towards him, overcome with emotion.

After all, to a common martial artist, kings were figures belonging to myth; for Zhongzhou’s Superior Heavenly Sect, the God Kings were legends even within mythology.

Yet such a figure had been bested in battle by her husband—how could Yun Xiu not feel elated?

"No need to be so excited. It was merely a draw,"

Tang Luo said, smiling as he hugged his wife, patting her back gently. "If anything, by strict reckoning, it was a loss, truth be told."

"A loss? How could it be!"

Unwilling to accept her husband’s false humility, Yun Xiu rolled her eyes. "I witnessed it clearly. Jiang Divine Monarch, once brimming with vigor, now reduced to frail old age. Even if the result was a tie, anyone with discernment could see that the Divine Monarch had exhausted his strength while you remained unfatigued. This was no more than preserving face for the Medicine God Sect—emotional intelligence, you see, I understand these things!"

"Emotional intelligence, you say? Truly, it seems the ancestors of the Yun Family must have been remarkable indeed."

Tang Luo chuckled as he led his wife to sit down, shaking his head and replying, "Yet this matter is not about false humility. The truth is that Jiang Divine Monarch did not lose to me. He lost to his own arrogance."

Seeing Tang Luo’s earnest expression, Yun Xiu was perplexed and asked, "I... don’t quite understand."

"It’s actually quite simple. Rules are always founded on certain principles."

With a soft chuckle, Tang Luo said, "Fire scorches the high; water nourishes the low. As when we first developed Spirit Art models, the intent was always to utilize Primary Qi’s inherent energies. Yet, as techniques advanced, we began seeking ways to exceed Primary Qi’s natural potential."